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Doncaster Rovers
Championship
Jan 18, 2014 at 3pm UK
 
Wigan logo

3-0

Brown (7', 69' pen.), Coppinger (52')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Preview: Doncaster Rovers vs. Wigan Athletic

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Championship match between struggling Doncaster and in-form Wigan at the Keepmoat.

Wigan Athletic will look to continue their promotion charge when they take on struggling Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat on Saturday.

The Latics have shot up the table under Uwe Rosler and now find themselves just three points adrift of sixth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.

The visitors are enjoying an eight-match unbeaten streak going into Saturday's game, but fatigue could prove to be a problem after they were taken to extra time in their FA Cup replay against MK Dons on Tuesday, eventually winning 3-1.

Coupled with their Europa League exploits earlier in the season, Rosler will be cautious of asking too much of his players and could field fresh legs in the form of new loan signing Nicky Maynard.

Ben Watson and Ivan Ramis could both start for Wigan, but Shaun Maloney and Gary Caldwell are long-term absentees while Grant Holt has joined Aston Villa on loan.

Doncaster, meanwhile, are in the midst of a terrible run of form that has seen them go nine matches without a win in all competitions, picking up just two points from the last 24 available in the league.

They have only scored two goals in their last seven league outings and, while they matched that tally in one FA Cup match at the start of the month, they were still eliminated thanks to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Stevenage.

Such form has unsurprisingly left them languishing at the wrong end of the table, and they now find themselves in the bottom three, one point adrift of safety.

Only two sides have conceded more goals than Paul Dickov's men this season, while no-one has scored fewer than the 19 Doncaster have managed in their 25 matches thus far.

Rovers have not scored in front of their own fans since November, but their home form will be key if they are to stay in the division, with 14 of their 21 points so far this season being amassed at the Keepmoat.

Rob Jones and Jamie McCombe are still out with knee injuries for the hosts, but they should be boosted by the returns of loanee Bongani Khumalo and Paul Keegan, the latter of whom has missed two months of action.

Recent form

Doncaster: LLDLLL

Wigan: DDWDWW

Possible starting lineups

Doncaster: Turnbull; Quinn, Khumalo, McCullough, Stevens; Wellens, Furman, Robinson, Duffy, Cotterill; Brown

Wigan: Al-Habsi; Rogne, Barnett, Ramis, Beausejour; McArthur, Watson, McClean, McCann, Espinoza; Powell

Sports Mole says: 0-2


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Written by
Barney Corkhill
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New manager of Wigan Athletic, Uwe Rosler, looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Wigan Athletic at Hillsborough Stadium on December 18, 2013
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