In the opening round of fixtures in the 2024-25 League One campaign, Charlton Athletic will travel north to take on Wigan Athletic at the Brick Community Stadium on Saturday.
The teams were separated by nine points in the final table last term, with the hosts defying a points deduction to finish 12th while their visitors only steered clear of relegation in the final months of the campaign.
Match preview
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Wigan Athletic head into the 2024-25 League One season with the aim of kicking on under Shaun Maloney, having enjoyed a pleasing and resilient campaign last time around following their relegation from England's second tier.
Hampered by off-the-field issues and beginning with an eight-point deduction, the Lancashire outfit looked set to be battling against back-to-back relegations last term, and while they did fight around the bottom end of the division for most of the campaign, Maloney's men eventually defied the odds to finish 12th on 62 points thanks to three straight victories.
That tally was 18 more than the final relegation spot, while the 70 points that the Latics earned in their matches would have put them 10th in the third tier despite the difficult manner of their campaign.
Then turning their focus to the new term with the hopes of building further improvement, they return to action on the back of a busy pre-season schedule, having initially picked up victories over Accrington Stanley and Fylde alongside draws with Chorley and Blackburn Rovers, before bowing out with narrow defeats in consecutive contests against Tranmere Rovers and Barrow at the beginning of August.
Now heading into their second straight League One campaign on a level playing field, Wigan Athletic will set out to build on last season's positives and put themselves in the fight at the right end of the division this term, starting with a home victory in their curtain-raiser on Saturday.
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They face a tricky test, though, as the visitors arrive aiming to kickstart a promotion bid at the DW Stadium after a disappointing campaign last time around.
Nathan Jones took over as Charlton Athletic manager in February with the London outfit sat in danger of relegation on just 31 points from 30 League One outings, and he was quickly able to steer them to safety in the final 16 outings.
From those games under the new boss, the Addicks earned 22 more points to climb to an eventual 16th-placed finish, having picked up four victories while suffering just two defeats including a final-day 1-0 loss to Wycombe Wanderers, ending a 14-match unbeaten streak with survival already comfortably wrapped up.
Turning their focus to the new campaign in the midst of a busy summer of transfer business, the Valley side began their pre-season preparations with victories over Dartford and Goztepe, and after a draw with Crystal Palace and a defeat to AFC Wimbledon, they rounded off the campaign with a 2-0 triumph over Championship side Portsmouth last weekend thanks to goals from Tyreece Campbell and Gassan Ahadme.
Now with high hopes for a first full season under Jones's tutelage following a busy summer of recruitment, Charlton Athletic will look to establish themselves amongst the League One frontrunners from the outset, starting with a victory in their curtain-raiser.
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Team News
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Wigan Athletic have seen plenty of changes to their squad over the summer, with attackers Stephen Humphrys, Charlie Wyke and Josh Magennis having all departed alongside winger Jordan Jones and defender Sean Clare, although Shaun Maloney has also made plenty of additions across the pitch.
Calvin Ramsay and Luke Chambers have both arrived on loan from Liverpool and will hope to start in the defence, while Manchester United loanee Joe Hugill should lead a new-look attacking unit with Thelo Aasgaard having stayed to remain a key man in support at the DW Stadium.
The Latics have thus far kept hold of the in-demand duo of Sam Tickle and Charlie Hughes, and they are bound to feature between the sticks and at the heart of the back four respectively, while new signings Michael Olakigbe, Tyrese Francois and Silko Thomas will miss out through injury alongside Jonny Smith.
While Charlton Athletic have been hit by the loss of striker Alfie May, who joined Birmingham City after hitting a league-high tally of 23 goals last season, they have made plenty of reinforcements ahead of their upcoming promotion bid, with Gassan Ahadme and Matty Godden offering further quality in attack and contending with Chuks Aneke and Tyreece Campbell in the ongoing absence of Miles Leaburn.
Elsewhere, Luke Berry and Greg Docherty should both earn debuts in the midfield following their arrivals from Luton Town and Hull City respectively, with the latter being named club captain.
Conor Coventry may compete the central unit, while new arrival Alex Mitchell should join Lloyd Jones and Macaulay Gillesphey in a back three.
Wigan Athletic possible starting lineup:
Tickle; Hughes, Kerr, Aimson; Sessegnon, Adeeko, Rankine, Ramsay; Aasgaard, Hugill, McManaman
Charlton Athletic possible starting lineup:
Mannion; Gillesphey, Mitchell, Jones; Ramsay, Berry, Docherty, Coventry, Small; Campbell, Godden
We say: Wigan Athletic 1-1 Charlton Athletic
Saturday's meeting promises to be an intriguing one between two ambitious sides keen to kick off their campaigns with a victory, and we cannot quite pick a winner, instead seeing a share of the spoils as the most likely outcome at the DW Stadium.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
