Premier League preview: Wigan v Stoke

Wigan hope to move out of the relegation zone when they welcome Stoke to DW Stadium on Saturday in the English Premier League.

Stoke are now a firmly established Premier League side and followed their 12th placing in the 2008-09 season with an 11th-placed finish last season.

After 15 matches this campaign, Tony Pulis’ men are in eighth spot on the standings with 20 points, and in their most recent encounter they had a 90th-minute equaliser from Matthew Etherington to thank for their 1-1 draw with Manchester City.

Wigan, on the other hand, are in 18th place and in the dreaded bottom three – but only six points behind Stoke on 14.

In their last match, though, they were outplayed by bottom side West Ham en route to a 3-1 loss at Upton Park.

And the news does not get any better for Wigan manager Roberto Martinez, with striker Victor Moses ruled out for up to eight weeks with a dislocated shoulder suffered during their 2-0 Carling Cup quarter-final loss to Arsenal on Tuesday.

Defender Gary Caldwell could return from a thigh strain in time for the match though, after he was left out of the squad to play Arsenal.

Pulis has injury worries of his own ahead of the clash, with Jermaine Pennant and Andy Wilkinson both set to miss out on Saturday.

Wilkinson came off against Manchester City with a knee knock, and Pennant was also forced off with a hamstring injury in a double blow for Stoke, with the duo forming an effective partnership on the right flank in recent weeks.