And, although Thornton has beenincluded in the Ireland Under-20 squad for the World Youth Championships in the United Arab Emirates later this month, Wilkinson has not given up hope of persuading the Republic of Ireland to allow Thornton to stay with Sunderland for the rest of the club's battle against relegation.
Because the competition is backed by Fifa, Thornton has to go unless Irish boss Brian Kerr says otherwise, but Wilkinson has been in talks with the Irish FA in a bid to free Thornton from international duty.
"Discussions with the FAI regarding Sean's call-up are still ongoing," he told the club's official website.
"However, we are delighted that he won't have to join up for the pre-competition preparations and will be available for our game against Bolton."
Thorntons chances of playing in the relegation six-pointer with Bolton have been improved with news that Jason McAteer is struggling to be fit for the game.