Preview: Wigan Athletic vs. Birmingham City - prediction, team news, lineups

The Latics lost their first match under their new management last time out at Preston North End, whereas Birmingham's poor run of results continued against Luton Town last weekend.

Match preview

Wigan legend Shaun Maloney has returned to the DW Stadium as manager and has been tasked with keeping the club in the second tier after a torrid start to the campaign.

The League One winners from last year have struggled to acclimatise to life at Championship level, with both Leam Richardson and then Kolo Toure unable to propel the Latics out of the relegation zone.

Maloney walked into a backdrop of poor performances and has started his managerial tenure at Wigan in a positive fashion, collecting six points from his first five matches, losing just once in that period.

That loss did come last Saturday however, with goals from Daniel Johnson and Thomas Cannon for the Lilywhites condemning Wigan to their 16th defeat of the league campaign.

With all of the current bottom-four clubs in the Championship table having made changes in terms of management in recent months and seeing bounces to relative degrees, no side is marooned at the foot of the standings, which is set to make Maloney's job at keeping Wigan in the division a challenging one.

Birmingham head to the DW Stadium on Saturday knowing a loss would throw them right into the fight for relegation, with Blues having lost four-straight league matches ahead of their trip to Wigan this weekend.

Last time out saw an injury-riddled Blues produce a limp display against playoff-chasing Luton at St Andrew's - a game which was decided by Carlton Morris's headed goal in the opening minutes of the second half.

John Eustace's men sit in 19th place in the second-tier standings after a worrying fortnight of results, holding a seven-point advantage over Huddersfield Town in 22nd, although the Terriers have played a game fewer.

Ex-Kidderminster Harriers boss Eustace has been left disappointed by the manner of the goals his side have been conceding since returning from the World Cup break, with the 43-year-old changing systems on a game-by-game basis to try and find a solution.

Blues face Wigan on Saturday and then a crunch clash with Rotherham United a week later, so it is safe to say Bluenoses will know a lot more about the fate of their club's season when those two games have been played.

Wigan Athletic Championship form:

L

D

W

D

D

L

Birmingham City Championship form:

W

W

L

L

L

L

Team News

Wigan could potentially welcome defender Omar Rekik back into the matchday squad on Saturday to play a part against Birmingham, with the Tunisian completing a full week of training following a knock picked up back at the start of February.

Josh Magennis has returned to first-team training this week following a period out with injury, however it is likely the clash with Blues will come too soon for the 32-year-old striker.

The Latics have a pair of players sidelined for the remainder of the campaign, with Jason Kerr (cruciate ligament) and Martin Kelly (knee) continuing their recoveries from their respective injuries.

Birmingham are hopeful of having Auston Trusty available for the trip to Wigan after the Arsenal loanee missed his first Championship minutes of the season against Luton due to a calf injury, with Eustace describing his situation as "touch and go" for the weekend.

Reda Khadra is another player who could make his return to the matchday squad on Saturday - the German started training with the team again on Tuesday following a hamstring injury sustained in the dramatic 4-3 win at Swansea City a month ago.

Poland's Krystian Bielik is still a couple of weeks away from action after picking up a calf injury in the loss at Huddersfield, with either Alfie Chang or Gary Gardner set to occupy the Bielik-shaped hole in the base of the Blues midfield.

Wigan Athletic possible starting lineup:

Amos; Hughes, Whatmough, Nyambe; Darikwa, Power, Tiehi, McClean; Keane, Lang, Fletcher

Birmingham City possible starting lineup:

Ruddy; Dean, Roberts, Long; Colin, Gardner, Hannibal, Chong, Longelo; Jutkiewicz, Khadra

We say: Wigan Athletic 1-1 Birmingham City

Wigan showed glimpses of good play in their defeat at Preston last weekend, and they will certainly be targeting the visit of struggling Birmingham as a game to collect maximum points from as they bid to stay in the Championship.

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