Lee Bowyer believes Macauley Bonne is improving but feels the striker must improve his “split-second decision-making” if he is to get even better.

The 23-year-old, who became Charlton’s first summer signing when he joined from Leyton Orient on a three-year deal, came off the bench in the 2-0 defeat to Wigan.

Soon after coming on, Jonny Williams found him in space away from his marker but the substitute saw the chance ultimately break down.

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Bonne also came off the bench against Barnsley, which finished 2-2, but has yet to start a league this season for his new club.

Bowyer insists the striker has made good progress since joining in the summer but thinks it would be “unfair” to play him when he is not deemed ready yet.

He said: “I think we need to bed him in, I think he is improving. He got into a great area [against Wigan], he should have shot but that's where we need to improve him. In that little [clicks fingers] final split-second decision-making, just tidy up in those areas, but his movement was good. Which is obviously something we have been working on.

“He's heading in the right direction.

“I think his progress has been good. I think he has improved quicker than I thought he would.

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“He has taken on board what we are telling him so, for me, his progress is good. He's moving in the right direction. I think you could see out there today, and again against Barnsley when he'd come on, he caused a bit of a problem with his movement.

“Like I said, he just needs to improve that final bit because he can finish. The lad can finish, he just needs to tidy up other parts of his game.

“But it's not fair to just chuck him in when he is not fully ready.”

It was a day to forget for Charlton at the DW Stadium as a Cheyenne Dunkley brace condemned them to back-to-back defeats.

Bowyer insisted his team should have had a penalty in the second half when Naby Sarr was pulled back by Dunkley in the Wigan penalty area.

Referee Andy Davies did not give it though, as the Latics went on to secure their first win since the opening day of the Championship campaign.

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He added: “Naby Sarr ran off their defender and he [Dunkley] blatantly just pulled him back. It's a blatant penalty.

“The ref is looking straight at it, I don't know why he did not give it, and that was at 1-0. The game changes then, you know?

“But that's a small detail in 90 minutes. We didn't do enough to win that game today. Created chances, did not take them.”