In another busy week of Championship fixtures, Wigan play hosts for the second time in three days this time welcoming Stoke to the DW Stadium for a 7:45pm kick-off on Tuesday.
Last time out, Stoke struck in stoppage time to beat Wigan 2-1 - A victory which marked Michael O’Neill’s first home game in charge of The Potters.
O’Neill will be hoping for nothing less from his Stoke side this time out, but Wigan are on their best run of the season, having not lost in eight league games, and kept clean sheets in their last six.
Stoke, on the other hand, lost their five-game unbeaten run on Saturday, as they fell to the hands of Middlesbrough, losing 0-2.
Not only will Stoke go into their game against Wigan without the momentum of a winning streak, they will also be without midfielder, Nick Powell, who saw red in the 89th minute of their defeat.
The Latics however, are starting to welcome back some of their players including defender, Antonee Robinson, who returned into the side earlier this month after being out with a heart issue.
Robinson was Wigan’s saving grace upon his return in their 2-0 win against Huddersfield, as Paul Cook’s side were already without Chey Dunkley and Leon Balogun due to injury.
Balogun has since returned from injury and was on Wigan’s bench for their weekend victory against Blackburn.
Both teams are sure to go into the fixture all guns blazing, as Stoke sit just one point from the relegation zone, and Wigan look to carry on their late eight-game unbeaten run and keep climbing the table to safety.
With the return of some all-important Wigan players, their winning streak, and potentially their ‘home advantage’ (if we can even say that anymore), to me this fixture will be the reverse of last time out, and will result in a Wigan win.
Match Preview written by Sophie Reynolds.