Wigan are determined to put off-field distractions behind them as they prepare for the mid-table Premier League clash with Fulham.
The Cottagers lead Roberto Martinez's side by one place and a single point going into the weekend but it is Fulham who will be on a high after their stunning defeat of Liverpool last weekend.
While Fulham were destroying the Reds, nine-man Wigan were crumbling to bottom club Portsmouth, as fans were scanning both front and back pages of national newspapers for the latest at their club.
Martinez, to his credit, has refused to use the distraction of Marlon King's conviction for sexually assaulting a woman and causing actual bodily harm as an excuse for their 4-0 loss at the weekend.
"We had too many probably this week, with one of the players getting sentenced, and all the paper talk," the Spaniard said after the match.
"But that is not an excuse. We had enough time to prepare for the game. We knew it was going to be a very tough game. To put it simply, we did not have any intensity, any clarity in our play on the ball," Martinez admitted.
The former Swansea boss will have had a busy week at the Lancashire club's training ground ironing out the many problems his side encountered against Pompey, although he at least has a fully fit squad to choose from.
Roy Hodgson's Fulham side does not have that luxury and could have up to four key players out with injury.
Danny Murphy (knee), Andy Johnson (groin) and Simon Davies (ankle) are all struggling but perhaps the most worrying for Hodgson is the potential absence of Damien Duff.
The former Chelsea winger adds a unique dimension to the Fulham attack and his return from injury in mid October helped the club go six matches without defeat.
Hodgson though was cautious about his fitness earlier this week, with one eye on the Republic of Ireland match next Saturday that Duff desperately wants to play in.
"It's an injury he has been struggling with for a while. It stems from his Achilles, although it's a little bit more complicated than that," Hodgson conceded.
Source: DSG
