Wigan v West Brom Premiership Preview: Zaki Out For Latics As Baggies Look To End 7-Game Winless Streak

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Wigan Athletic, play Tony Mowbray’s West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League at the JJB Stadium on Saturday.

Steve Bruce’s Latics side will be boosted by their 1-0 win over Everton at the JJB on Monday, with Wigan unbeaten during November after losing all their Premier League matches in October. Wigan will go into this clash with West Brom full of confidence as the Latics are on a four-game unbeaten streak, but are still just two points outside the relegation zone in 15th place in the Premiership.

The Baggies on the other hand are desperate for some points, with West Brom without a win in the last seven games, which has seen them collect just 1 point from the last 21 available. This poor run has seen the Midlands club slip to the bottom of the Premier League, where West Brom are two points adrift of their nearest rivals Blackburn Rovers, who that point came against at the Hawthorns at the beginning of November.

Wigan will be without their top-scorer this season Egyptian International Amr Zaki, who will miss the visit of the Baggies with a virus. The Latics are also unable to call on captain Mario Melchiot (calf), but long-term injury Erik Edman could be available for Wigan after a knee injury, although it is unlikely that Bruce will risk the former Tottenham Hotspur defender against West Brom.

Mowbray will be without long-term injured Neil Clement (knee), with James Morrison facing a late fitness test on his knee injury ahead of the trip to the JJB Stadium in this must win game for West Brom.

Wigan Athletic: (from) Kirkland, Taylor, Edman, Cattermole, Palacios, Scharner, Kilbane, Heskey, Koumas, Brown, Pollitt, Valencia, Boyce, de Ridder, Bramble, Cywka, Kingson, Kapo, Camara, Kupisz, Figueroa, Routledge, Ashworth

West Bromwich Albion: (from) Carson, Hoefkens, Robinson, Cech, Corbett, Koren, Greening, Bednar, Miller, Brunt, Kim, MacDonald, Moore, Dorrans, Pele, Kiely, Teixeira, Slusarski, Zuiverloon, Meite, Olsson, Morrison, Valero, Donk

Wigan v Stoke Premiership Preview: Heskey & Zaki To Lead Latics Attack? – Lawrence & Davies Missing For Potters

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Wigan Athletic, play Tony Pulis’ Stoke City in the Premier League at the JJB Stadium on Saturday.

Steve Bruce’s Latics will be looking to build on the 2-1 win against Portsmouth at Fratton Park last week, which ended a four-game losing streak in the Premiership. However, Wigan are just outside the relegation zone by virtue of goal difference nothing less than a home win against Premier League debutantes Stoke will please former Manchester United player Bruce.

The Potters will be full of confidence after beating Arsenal 2-1 at the Britannia last weekend, which saw Stoke move out of a relegation spot and up to 13th in the Premier League. However, Pulis will be eager for his Potters side to show they can play good football after Gunners boss Arsene Wenger accused the Potters of fouling their way to victory in their clash last week.

Wigan, almost have a fully fit squad for the visit of Stoke, with only long-term absentee Erik Edman unavailable with a knee injury. Jason Koumas got a rare start against Pompey last week and should keep his place, with Emile Heskey and Amr Zaki likely to start upfront for the Latics.

Pulis is still without Liam Lawrence (ankle) and Andrew Davies (knee), who will both be out for another three weeks, but has no new injury worries ahead of the trip to the JJB.

Wigan Athletic: (from) Kirkland, Scharner, Taylor, Cattermole, Palacios, Kilbane, Heskey, Koumas, Brown, Pollitt, Zaki, Valencia, de Ridder, Bramble, Cywka, Kingson, Kapo, Melchiot, Camara, Kupisz, Figueroa

Stoke City: (from) Sorensen, Griffin, Higginbotham, Olofinjana, Cort, Whelan, Soares, Cresswell, Fuller, Sidibe, Kitson, Pugh, Pericard, Matteo, Shawcross, Diao, A Faye, de Laet, Tonge, Delap, A Diagne-Faye, Phillips, Wilkinson, Simonsen, Dickinson, Sonko