Preview: Wigan Athletic vs. Blackburn Rovers - prediction, team news, lineups

The hosts climbed to 15th spot in the Championship table with a dramatic win over Luton Town last weekend, while their visitors have earned just three points from their last five league outings.

Match preview

After winning the League One title last season, Wigan Athletic have enjoyed a relatively pleasing start to life back in the Championship, collecting 10 points from their opening seven outings and only suffering one loss.

That lone defeat came after a hard-fought 1-0 win away at Birmingham City, as the Latics hosted newly-relegated Burnley and were thrashed 5-1, with Nick Powell's goal from the penalty spot nothing more than a consolation.

On the back of that heavy loss, Leam Richardson's side would take a commendable point at home to West Bromwich Albion, having taken the lead through Josh Magennis early on before Karlan Grant drew the Baggies level with the contest eventually finishing 1-1, before the Lancashire outfit faced the tough test of a trip to Kenilworth Road to take on Luton Town.

Their hosts went ahead in the first half through Carlton Morris, but a Tom Lockyer own goal in the 80th minute levelled the scores, and Thelo Aasgaard ensured the Latics took all three points as he netted the decisive goal just before the beginning of injury time.

Such a result has seen Wigan take their tally to 10 points, and, now sitting in a pleasing mid-table position, they will be keen to continue their impressive start to the second-tier campaign with another positive result at the weekend.

They welcome a Blackburn Rovers side who are keen to return to the form they displayed in the early stages of the season following the summer appointment of Jon Dahl Tomasson as manager.

They began the new era in impressive fashion, winning their first three Championship games against Queens Park Rangers, Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion, before the perfect start was put on hold by a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Reading.

The Rovers then lost by the same scoreline away at Sheffield United and, after an EFL Cup win over Bradford City, saw their league losing run stretch to three games with a 1-0 defeat at home to Stoke City.

Tomasson's side were then able to return to winning ways away at Blackpool, as Ben Brereton Diaz hit the only goal in a 1-0 victory to take their tally to 12 points from seven Championship games, but, again, the Lancashire side faced a setback last time out, losing 3-2 at home to Bristol City, with Brereton Diaz's injury-time finish too late to spark a turnaround after a Tommy Conway goal and a Nakhi Wells brace gave the visitors a dominant lead.

Having now dropped to seventh spot with a four-point gap to the top two, the Rovers will hope to get their season back on track with a victory on their travels at the weekend.

Wigan Athletic Championship form:

Wigan Athletic form (all competitions):

Blackburn Rovers Championship form:

Blackburn Rovers form (all competitions):

Team News

While Leam Richardson may opt to come into Saturday's game with an unchanged team after an impressive victory away at Luton, he does have several dilemmas, as Thelo Aasgaard will be pushing to come into the starting XI after his late winner off the bench.

Ashley Fletcher and Nathan Broadhead also made substitute appearances in that game, after Josh Magennis was preferred in the middle of a front three with Callum Lang and Will Keane offering support.

Further back, the Latics should stick with a back three after recently switching their setup, and Jack Whatmough, Curtis Tilt and Jason Kerr should all keep their places with Tom Naylor and Max Power operating in the engine room.

Blackburn Rovers have several injury issues to deal with, as striker Sam Gallagher is out of action alongside Sammie Szmodics, Scott Wharton and right-back Callum Brittain.

Given those absences, captain Lewis Travis could again deputise on the right-hand side of the back four, leaving John Buckley, Tyler Morton and Adam Wharton to fight for the two spots in midfield, while George Hirst led the line last time out with Tyrhys Dolan pushing to come back in on Saturday.

Whichever lone striker is deployed will have plenty of support, likely from the trio of Ryan Hedges, Bradley Dack and Ben Brereton Diaz, who has already netted four league goals this season after scoring 22 times in 37 Championship appearances last time around.

Wigan Athletic possible starting lineup:

Amos; Kerr, Whatmough, Tilt; Nyambe, Power, Naylor, McClean; Lang, Fletcher, Keane

Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:

Kaminski; Travis, Carter, Hyam, Pickering; Buckley, Morton; Hedges, Dack, Brereton Diaz; Dolan

We say: Wigan Athletic 2-1 Blackburn Rovers

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