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

The two sides are separated by five points at the bottom end of the League One table with the visitors sat in the relegation zone and their hosts now 18th with 20 games left to play.

Match preview

Wigan Athletic head into the weekend aiming to kickstart a climb further up the League One table, having experienced a mixed first half to the season under the management of Shaun Maloney while overcoming a combined eight-point deduction.

In spite of that, the Latics sit 18th just after the halfway stage of the campaign on 28 points, having won 10 of their first 26 outings while also suffering 10 defeats, with only three sides outside of the top six having netted more than their 36 goals.

Three of those losses did come consecutively for the Lancashire outfit around the festive period at the hands of Port Vale, Derby County and Saturday's opponents in the reverse fixture, but they did bounce back with a 2-0 triumph over Carlisle United before the turn of the year and head into Saturday's meeting on the back of a continued busy schedule in January.

Maloney's men have since come from behind to draw 1-1 in their last two League One outings away at Barnsley and Northampton Town, with Jonny Smith and Josh Magennis scoring the levellers respectively, either side of a 2-0 FA Cup third-round defeat at home to Manchester United, before they most recently travelled to Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday in the EFL Trophy third round and bowing out after a penalty shootout defeat.

With their focus now fully on their League One pursuits, and with five sides all just two points better off than them up to 13th spot, Wigan Athletic will know they can quickly scale the division further if they are able to make a return to winning ways on Saturday and build an improved run.

Their visitors, meanwhile, travel on the back of a premature end to their last league outing at the weekend in the midst of growing uncertainty around the club's future.

Following their relegation from the Championship last season, and having thus far been deducted four points this term, Reading currently sit 21st in England's fourth tier with 23 points on the board from their opening 25 league outings.

That is despite a particularly tough start, as Ruben Selles's side have added 10 points to that tally in the last six attempts in an unbeaten run, culminating in a 3-1 New Year's Day win over Exeter City, thanks to finishes from Harvey Knibbs and Femi Azeez and an Alex Hartridge own goal heading into last weekend's scheduled meeting with Port Vale on home turf.

Despite their recent upturn, the feeling around the club is certainly not one of optimism or positivity, as the match was abandoned inside the opening 20 minutes as Royals fans invaded the pitch to protest against the club's owner amidst ongoing financial difficulties.

Now returning to action with a trip up north, Selles and his side will keep their focus on the pitch and set out to make it seven league games unbeaten with a victory to reduce their three-point gap to safety with further deductions seeming likely.

Wigan Athletic League One form:

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W

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Wigan Athletic form (all competitions):

L

W

D

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L

Reading League One form:

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W

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Reading form (all competitions):

W

D

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W

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Team News

Despite their eventual penalty shootout defeat, Wigan Athletic should field a similar starting XI to the one that featured away at Doncaster Rovers in the EFL Trophy last time out, having switched to a 4-2-3-1 shape with Charlie Hughes and Jason Kerr partnering up in the middle of a back four.

Sean Clare and Luke Morrison should again complete the defence, while Sam Tickle is bound to return between the sticks.

Elsewhere, Baba Adeeko and Matt Smith may again partner up in the engine room, while Jordan Jones, Thelo Aasgaard and Callum McManaman may operate in support of a lone striker with Josh Magennis, Stephen Humphrys and Charlie Wyke all fighting to lead the line from the outset.

Ruben Selles will likely field the same Reading XI that started in the abandoned meeting with Port Vale last time out, with Tom Holmes, who has signed for Luton Town but been loaned back to the Royals for the remainder of the season, set to remain sidelined.

Nelson Abbey has been a key man at the heart of the defence so far this season and could again be joined by 18-year-old Tyler Bindon, while Michael Craig should again operate at the base of the midfield.

Ahead of him, Harvey Knibbs and Lewis Wing will offer support going forward with Sam Smith set to lead the line, having notched up seven goals so far this season, despite competition from Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan.

Wigan Athletic possible starting lineup:

Tickle; Clare, Hughes, Kerr, Morrison; Adeeko, Smith; McManaman, Aasgaard, Jones; Humphrys

Reading possible starting lineup:

Button; Yiadom, Bindon, Abbey, Dorsett; Craig; Azeez, Knibbs, Wing, Mukairu; Smith

We say: Wigan Athletic 1-1 Reading

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