Another week goes by, and still Wigan Athletic find themselves in the bottom three of the Championship table.

With Huddersfield Town next up at the DW Stadium on Saturday, the usual reassurances of being 'too good to go down' are falling on increasingly disbelieving ears.

A 1-1 draw with playoff outsiders Blackburn Rovers last time out was not the worst result, but it still leaves them five points adrift of safety and with just one win in their 10 matches under Malky Mackay.

Worryingly for the Latics, they also needed Shaun Maloney to come off the bench and set up their equalising goal in that match, and they are unlikely to be able to call upon the winger's services for much longer.

A move to Leicester City broke down over personal terms, but reports suggest that MLS side Chicago Fire are interested in securing the Scot.

Callum McManaman has also been heavily linked with a move away, leaving Wigan even more reliant on James McClean, who has scored three and assisted four of his side's last nine league goals.

The Latics have not won at home since August, a run that stretches back 10 matches and has seen them score just seven goals - three of which came in a single game.

Indeed, only Millwall and Blackpool have amassed fewer points in front of their own fans this season, while Wigan's tally of two home wins is the lowest in the division.

Maloney is once again expected to miss out on a place in the starting XI due to ongoing uncertainty over his future, while there may also be no place for McManaman.

Huddersfield are not entirely out of danger themselves this season, but the eight-point gap currently separating them from the bottom three gives them a decent amount of breathing space.

The Terriers have been frustratingly inconsistent this season, failing to build on victories over promotion candidates such as Watford, Brentford and Nottingham Forest.

That can fairly accurately be split up into home and away form, with Huddersfield having picked up just three of the last 24 points available to them on the road.

They are without a win in their last eight away games and have only won twice on their travels all season, while the 30 goals they have conceded is the joint worst away record in the division.

Top scorer Nahki Wells has had his own troubles on the road having not scored away from the John Smith's Stadium since October.

He is likely to resume up front this weekend, though, while Harry Bunn and Murray Wallace are also available for selection. However, James Vaughan and Jon Hogg are both major doubts through injury.

Wigan:

Form in Championship: LLWLLD
Form in all competitions: LWLLLD

Possible starting lineup: Carson; Perch, Barnett, Ridgewell, Taylor; Forshaw, Hughes. McCann, Waghorn; Watson; McClean

Huddersfield:

Form in Championship: LLDWWL
Form in all competitions: LDWLWL

Possible starting lineup: Smithies; Smith, Hudson, Lynch, Robinson; Butterfield, Coady, Gobern; Bunn, Wells, Scannell

Sports Mole says: 1-1

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