Joey O'Brien is convinced Bolton will avoid relegation from the Barclays Premier League this season because he believes cream always rises to the top.

O'Brien is confident a Bolton side back in the bottom three will avoid the ignominious drop into football's second tier.

The Irishman's theory will be put to the severest test when the Whites face local rivals Wigan in a important clash at the JJB Stadium.

It is a traditional six-pointer at the business end of the season, and a game neither side can ideally afford to lose if they have survival aspirations.

Although Bolton were in Europe on Thursday, it was a weakened side that suffered a 1-0 defeat to Sporting Lisbon in the second leg of a last-16 tie.

Boss Gary Megson rested a raft of influential players, and it is to those he will turn to for the clash with the Latics.

Kevin Nolan, Jussi Jaaskelainen, Kevin Davies, Matt Taylor, El Hadji Diouf, Andy O'Brien, Ricardo Gardner, Ivan Campo, Gavin McCann and Gretar Steinsson should all figure.

And it is those players O'Brien is convinced hold the key to Bolton's hopes of climbing away from the relegation zone.

"There is confidence and belief amongst the players that we can get out of this," insisted O'Brien, who is likely to be on the bench at the JJB Stadium after playing on Thursday.

"I know it's easy to say that, but the way we're looking at it, we are one win away from climbing a few places up the table because it is that tight down there.

"That's the way we have to look at it because if we beat Wigan we will probably move up to around 14th or so.

"We also have a game in hand, and I know that's against Manchester United, but we've already turned them over once this season and who is to say we can't do it again.

"I know we're third bottom, but we've quality players, and I think they're really going to come to the fore now because those kind of players always come out on top."

O'Brien fully appreciated Megson's reasoning for leaving such key names at home, but the pressure is now on those rested to clinch a result against Wigan.

"We know what the bigger picture is," O'Brien said.

"Everyone of the players last night put in a lot of effort, and we all wanted to win and reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup.

"But the Premier League is the most important thing for us at this moment in time.

"When you look at the players that were rested, a lot will now be expected of us at Wigan. It's definitely a six-pointer.

"But come tomorrow those lads will be ready and fresh, and we all hope they can get us three points from what is a can't-lose game."

If the Bolton players believe in omens, they will hope lightning strikes twice because after a game in Europe earlier this season, a few days later they followed up with a 4-1 thumping of Wigan.

"What we would give for that result again. We certainly wouldn't mind that," O'Brien added.

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