Wigan Athletic v Sunderland - Follow LIVE text commentary

28 November 2009 15:00
Wigan Athletic v Sunderland

Follow every kick as Wigan Athletic take on Sunderland at The JJB Stadium in the Premier League
on 28-Nov-2009, kick off time 15:00

Wigan Athletic v Sunderland Live


Sunderland face an entirely new challenge this weekend when, a week after securing a famous win over Arsenal, they travel to face the club who are still in shock after a 9-1 thrashing at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur.

Wigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez will have had a busy week in training as the Spaniard is not only tasked with plugging a wide-open defence but also with motivating a group of players clearly embarrassed by the nature of the White Hart Lane defeat.

Club captain Mario Melchiot expressed their emotions earlier this week when he announced on the official club website that the players would personally reimburse any supporter who paid to watch the performance in north London.

He said: "There isn't a lot else to say, just that as a group of professionals we were embarrassed by the way we performed. "We feel it was below our standards and this (the refund) is something we feel we owe to the fans."

Martinez couldn't hide his emotions after the match, telling reporters that: "It's a result we don't want to be associated with but the damage of this won't be carried into the next game."

Quite how far the Spaniard will need to go with his reorganisation is hard to judge, though he is unlikely to replace goalkeeper Chris Kirkland or key defender Titus Bramble, despite the latter's famous issues with confidence.

Left-back Erik Edman could well be edged out although his obvious replacement, Maynor Figueroa, has been struggling with a knee ligament injury and could only make the bench last week. South Korean Won-Hee Cho could get a chance after making a late appearance as substitute against Spurs.

Whoever plays at the back will at least be avoiding a clash with tough Sunderland forward Kenwyne Jones, who is serving the final game of his three-match suspension. Jones' absence has been compounded by the probable loss of top scorer Darren Bent.

The goal hero from last weekend underwent scans earlier this week on a hamstring strain which could sideline him until mid-December. Manager Steve Bruce, who is facing his former club for the first time since his summer move to Wearside, is likely to use Fraizer Campbell in attack instead, while the return of centre-half Michael Turner from suspension increases the competition for places in defence.

Source: DSG