Premier League preview: Wolves v Wigan

Wigan Athletic head to the West Midlands to take on Wolves with manager Robert Martinez hoping to lift his team out of the bottom three.

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has publicly backed Martinez to climb out of the English Premier League relegation zone.

But with only five points from 10 games – their only win coming against QPR at home in August – Martinez will need to restore confidence if Wigan are to break their seven-game losing streak against Wolves, who sit just outside the relegation zone and three points ahead.

Wigan’s Colombian striker striker Hugo Rodallega still needs to recover his sharpness if Wigan are to win what looms as an early relegation six-pointer.

After being outclassed 3-1 by a rampant Manchester City side despite a numerical advantage after Vincent Kompany’s sending off, manager Mick McCarthy will want all three points against flagging Wigan.

Kevin Doyle played a key role against City, earning a penalty which Stephen Hunt converted, and McCarthy will be hoping that the Irish striker can lead the line well against Wigan.

Although Wolves have now gone eight games without a win after the loss to City, they look the stronger of the two and McCarthy knows nothing less than three points will do.

“Man City was the most important one before Saturday, now it’s Wigan because it’s the next game. Everybody in the world that has got any sort of football knowledge will know that Wolves v Wigan is a huge game,” McCarthy told the Birmingham Mail.

“And all those games against the teams down the bottom of the table are going to be hugely important.”

“Quite clearly everyone knows that. We lost a lot of those last year and won the big games, Saturday’s one we need to catch up on,” he said.