Latics v Villa clash in jeopardy

Referee Stuart Attwell will inspect the pitch at 8.30am on Saturday morning to decide whether the match can go ahead as scheduled at 3pm. The area around the ground has been declared safe, and manager Roberto Martinez told the club's website: "I have to congratulate our safety team at the stadium who have worked tirelessly to try and clear the area of ice and snow over the past few days. "Our ground staff have also spent several nights at the stadium making the sure the pitch remained playable. We have to keep our fingers crossed that tonight's frost is not too severe but a final decision rests with the referee."