Lincoln City return to the LNER Stadium on Saturday, hosting the early kick-off in SkyBet League One when they entertain Wigan Athletic.
Michael Skubala’s side will look to make it four games unbeaten in the league, after picking up a point at Peterborough United last weekend.
Opposition: Wigan Athletic
The Latics have settled back into being a League One outfit, after their mid-table 12th place finish last season. Former Wigan player Shaun Maloney now leads the side, and they have had a tricky start this season, losing three of their five league games.
Despite that, the Latics arrive in Lincolnshire off the back of a 4-0 away win over Bristol Rovers, with forward Joe Hugill bagging himself a brace.
Within the week, former Manchester United midfielder and now first-team coach Tom Huddlestone departed the club for high-flying Birmingham City. He arrived at the DW Stadium in June, after leaving Manchester United under-21s.
Team News:
Club captain Paudie O’Connor returns to the side after his one match suspension was served against Peterborough last time out.
On the other end of things, JJ McKiernan is a doubt for the game, after missing training on Thursday through illness. Goalkeeper George Wickens, who was forced off in the draw over Peterborough last time out, is ruled out by the concussion protocols.
As for the Latics, Maleace Asamoah Jr. picked up a knock in the 4-0 win over Bristol Rovers, Maloney confirmed in his pre-match press conference. Wigan are not sure as to how bad the injury was or how long he could be out for.
Head-to-Head:
The first competitive meeting between the two clubs came back in 1979, with Wigan coming out victorious in a 2-1 win. In more recent years, the record for the Imps has not been as impressive, winless in three, since April 2022.
The win in 2022 was the first victory the Latics tasted in over two decades against Lincoln, with City taking victories in all three encounters during that time.
Played for Both:
Former Imp and current Colchester United man Anthony Scully spent time in the Latics ranks, during the 2022/23 campaign. However, his record for Wigan was less than impressive, failing to score or assist in the five appearances that he made.
Scully became a fan favourite when he spent his time at the LNER Stadium, making over 100 appearances and scoring 36 times for the Imps.
Recently, Wigan have had to make use of their academy graduates due to their ongoing financial troubles, meaning not many players have made the trip from Lincolnshire to Greater Manchester.