In an attempt to extend their six-game unbeaten run, Wigan Athletic travel to the John Smith’s Stadium to take on Danny Cowley’s Huddersfield Town in the first game back since the Covid-19 pandemic halted the football calendar.
At 3pm on Saturday 20th June, this bottom-of-the-table clash will be played with no spectators in the stadium, possibly detracting the home advantage which Huddersfield Town would have loved to capitalise on. The Terriers currently sit at 18th in the EFL Championship, while the Latics sit one point below in 20th place, avoiding the drop-zone by two points.
Their meeting earlier this season produced a 1-1 draw, with Karlan Grant cancelling out Josh Windass’ first-half strike. This was not a rare occurrence for Karlan Grant, as he has notched a total of 16 goals so far in the campaign, joint-fourth top scorer in the league.
Team News
Recent runouts against Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Hull City have given Huddersfield some minutes in the tank to prepare for their first game back, and no new injuries mean that Tommy Elphick (knee) is the only name ruled out. Premier League winner Andy King will remain at the John Smith’s Stadium for the remaining nine games, a major boost for the Yorkshire side.
22-year old full-back Antonee Robinson is likely to be back in the Latics’ match-day squad for the remainder of the season, after a break down in his switch to Italian giants AC Milan following the detection of irregular heart rhythm in his medical. There are no notable absentees for the Latics, so there is the promise for a highly competitive contest to take place.
The new rules now allow 9 subs to be named on the bench, with 5 able to be used in the game, in an attempt to overcome the struggles produced by the coronavirus pandemic. This could allow youngsters or fringe players to be given a chance for both sides on Saturday, and the use of these subs could be the difference between these outfits. Let’s see what Danny Cowley and Paul Cook have up their sleeves.
Match Preview written by Seb Rowland.