Martinez keen to make home advantage count
Roberto Martinez hopes home comforts will help Wigan as they bid to reach the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup for the second time in three years.
With League Two Bradford the visitors to the DW Stadium, the Latics will be expected to come through and make the last eight, where they were eliminated by Arsenal two seasons ago.
Since that night at the Emirates, Wigan have played seven ties in the League and FA Cups, only one of which was at home, and that was a replay.
Last season they were dumped out in the first round of both competitions, at Crystal Palace and Swindon, while in the Capital One Cup this season they have claimed away wins at Nottingham Forest and West Ham.
Wigan gave themselves some breathing space in the Barclays Premier League with victory over the Hammers on Saturday, and manager Martinez has now turned his focus to further cup progress.
He said: "Every game is a big game now. Getting into the final eight is a fantastic prize for Bradford and for ourselves. We're going to get 5,000 supporters from Bradford and that's going to make it a big game.
"We're really looking forward to it. We've had two fantastic performances already in that cup and now we need to get the same standard at home.
"It's the first time we've had a cup game at home in the last two years and we need to make the most of it."
Martinez had hoped to give Japanese winger Ryo Miyaichi another run-out after he impressed in the cup game against West Ham but the Arsenal loanee is still struggling with a groin injury.
The Latics boss is certain to make a few changes, though, and strikers Mauro Boselli and Callum McManaman could well be given another chance up front.
Bradford boss Phil Parkinson will not take any unnecessary risks with captain Gary Jones for the clash.
The midfielder returned from a five-week injury lay-off at the weekend in a defeat by Burton after a spell on the sidelines with a back problem.
Parkinson was forced to turn to his skipper much earlier than intended due to Ricky Ravenhill's dismissal and completed just under an hour.
But despite the club having two big cup games in a week - with an FA Cup trip to Northampton also looming at the weekend - and with injuries and suspensions robbing Parkinson of a number of his first-team players, the manager will keep a close eye on the 35-year-old ahead of the tie.
"Ideally we only wanted to give Gary 10-15 minutes towards the end (on Saturday), but Ricky's sending off obviously changed all that," he told the club's official website.
"We'll have to see how he is because he has to be absolutely right to play in these next two cup games. I don't want to lose him again by playing him too much, too soon.
"We certainly have a lot of thinking to do."
With Ravenhill starting a three-game ban for an apparent headbutt on Burton's Lee Bell and defensive duo Andrew Davies and Luke Oliver sidelined with injuries, Parkinson faces a selection headache for the trip to the DW Stadium.
He is also without on-loan winger Craig Forsyth. The 23-year-old is cup-tied after playing against Bradford in the second round of the competition for parent club Watford.
The Bantams boss is able to recall top-scorer Nahki Wells after the striker served a one-match ban at the weekend for picking up five yellow cards.
Source: PA
