The sense of crisis at Bolton Wanderers heightened last night amid fears that Gary Speed, the player-coach, could be the next to join the alarming exodus of Sammy Lee’s backroom staff. On a day when Bolton were handed a glamorous draw that will pit them against Bayern Munich and Red Star Belgrade among others in the group stage of the Uefa Cup, Lee was more concerned with battles at the training ground, with Speed considering his future after an argument between the pair yesterday. The 38-year-old former Wales captain cannot leave the club because he is on a playing contract, but he is considering standing down from his position as first-team coach.

Lee’s appointment as manager in April was intended to ensure stability at the Reebok Stadium after the departure of Sam Allardyce to Newcastle United. But Lee has endured a difficult period on the pitch - Bolton are nineteenth in the Barclays Premier League after one win in their first nine matches – and off it, where fallouts with senior players, including Kevin Nolan, the captain, and Iván Campo, have been mirrored by differences with some of the coaching staff, a number of whom have left the club.

Several of Allardyce’s staff had left in the summer, including Mike Forde, the performance director, who has started a similar job at Chelsea, and Mark Howard, the strength and conditioning coach, who has joined Allardyce at Newcastle. But Damien Roden, the highly regarded fitness coach, has left to join Blackburn Rovers in the same capacity, while others such as Ricky Sbragia, the former Manchester United coach, and Phil Richards, whom Lee hired as a full-time strength and nutrition expert, are understood to be considering their positions.

Speed was promoted to first-team coach to act as a link between Lee and the players, but relations between the pair have been fraught, particularly since Speed was left out of the 16-man squad, along with Nolan, for the 1-0 home defeat by Chelsea on Sunday. Both players had started Bolton’s previous eight league matches and believe that they are victims of a power struggle as Lee fights to assert his authority.

Lee’s position as manager is not under immediate threat, with Phil Gartside, the chairman, seemingly prepared to give the former Liverpool player at least a further fortnight to reverse the team’s fortunes. Bolton visit Arsenal in their next Premier League match a week on Saturday, but there is a growing belief that victory over Aston Villa at the Reebok Stadium eight days later is imperative if Lee is to keep his job into the autumn. Paul Jewell, who has been out of work since leaving Wigan Athletic in May, has figured in Gartside’s thoughts.

At least Bolton have an exciting Uefa Cup campaign to look forward to. “We’ve had a tough start [to the season],” Gartside said. “You’re looking for things to spark your season off and Bayern Munich will be a great fillip.”

Tottenham Hotspur are in the same group as Anderlecht, whom they beat in the 1984 Uefa Cup final, and Everton will hope to progress from a group in which AZ Alkmaar are top seeds.