MX23RW : Wednesday, November 13 06:17:40| >> :600:142469:142469:
[monks data]
Blackburn logo
Championship | Gameweek 30
Feb 6, 2023 at 8pm UK
Ewood Park
Wigan logo

Blackburn
0 - 0
Wigan


Carter (70'), Brereton Diaz (84'), Rankin-Costello (88')
FT

McClean (88')

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

Sports Mole previews Monday's Championship clash between Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Blackburn Rovers play host to Wigan Athletic on Monday evening looking for the win which will move the club back into the Championship playoff places.

Meanwhile, the Latics, under new boss Shaun Maloney, are attempting to end a prolonged winless streak to get off the bottom of the standings.


Match preview

Blackburn Rovers boss Jon Dahl Tomasson on October 1, 2022© Reuters

Given their level of inconsistency, it is fair to say that Blackburn have been riding their luck when it comes to remaining in the top six of the table.

Thirteen defeats in 28 Championship fixtures meant that they were achieving something which was unprecedented, yet the inevitable happened on Friday evening as West Bromwich Albion defeated Coventry City to edge Rovers out of the playoff spots for the time being.

On a positive note, however, Jon Dahl Tomasson's side have only lost once in six matches in all competitions, three of those games being in the FA Cup.

After being held to a 2-2 draw with Birmingham City at Ewood Park on January 28, Blackburn came through the replay to set up a trip to Leicester City.

Tomasson will be far more focused on a crucial period of the season, with trips to Watford and West Brom to follow their North West showdown with Wigan.

Former Hibernian head coach Shaun Maloney pictured April 16, 2022© Reuters

The Latics bowed out of the FA Cup at the third round stage after a narrow replay loss to Luton Town, but new boss Maloney will be happy to focus on matters in the second tier.

Wigan's hierarchy made the bold decision to part company with Kolo Toure after just nine matches, a call which they feel was justified with none of those games ending with a win.

In Toure's defence, his team had been improving, drawing with Cardiff and Luton in successive matches before back-to-back defeats at home to the latter seemingly forced the Wigan board's hand.

Four points adrift of safety with a game in hand on 21st-placed Cardiff, the scenario in front of Maloney is not as bad as it may initially seem, although he is faced with the task of ending a winless streak which has lasted since November 12.

Blackburn Rovers Championship form:


Blackburn Rovers form (all competitions):


Wigan Athletic Championship form:


Wigan Athletic form (all competitions):



Team News

Tyler Morton in action for Blackburn Rovers in October 2022© Reuters

Tomasson is hopeful that defender Daniel Ayala will recover from a knock to his ankle to take his place in the Blackburn XI.

Sorba Thomas will be considered for a debut after his switch from Huddersfield Town, but Ryan Hedges is more likely to start having remained as an unused substitute in the replay versus Birmingham.

While Tyler Morton should also return to the starting lineup for the same reasons, it remains to be seen whether John Buckley or Lewis Travis will only be named among the replacements.

Maloney's first selection is somewhat of an unknown, particularly formation wise with Wigan having recently been lining up with a three-man backline.

Martin Kelly and Danel Sinani may be handed immediate debuts after their loan moves from West Brom and Norwich City respectively, while Omar Rekik should also be in contention after his temporary transfer from Arsenal.

Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:
Kaminski; Rankin-Costello, Ayala, Wharton, Pickering; Buckley, Morton; Hedges, Dack, Brereton Diaz; Vale

Wigan Athletic possible starting lineup:
Amos; Kelly, Caulker, Tilt; Nyambe, Power, Naylor, McClean; Lang, Sinani; Keane


SM words green background

We say: Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Wigan Athletic

With Wigan under new management, we expect their players to put on an improving showing against inconsistent opponents. Nevertheless, Rovers still boast one of the strongest home records in the division, leading us to predict a narrow win for the hosts.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 2.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 2.5:data


ID:505892:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect12435:

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Game History

How you voted: Blackburn vs Wigan

Blackburn Rovers
87.0%
Draw
9.2%
Wigan Athletic
3.8%
131
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
General view of Wigan Athletic's DW Stadium taken January 2015
Read Next:
Wigan Athletic: Transfer ins and outs - January 2023
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sunderland1594225111431
2Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd1510321971231
3Leeds UnitedLeeds158522491529
4Burnley157621861227
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom15672169725
6Watford158162322125
7Middlesbrough157352317624
8Millwall156541813523
9Blackburn RoversBlackburn156451917222
10Bristol City155732019122
11Swansea CitySwansea155461110119
12Derby CountyDerby155461919019
13Stoke CityStoke155461819-119
14Norwich CityNorwich154652322118
15Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds155371725-818
16Oxford UnitedOxford Utd154561718-117
17Coventry CityCoventry154472021-116
18Plymouth ArgylePlymouth154471526-1116
19Hull City153661620-415
20Preston North EndPreston153661523-815
21Luton TownLuton154381726-915
22Cardiff CityCardiff154381423-915
23Portsmouth152671628-1212
24Queens Park RangersQPR151771225-1310


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!