Wigan Athletic Football Club

• Nickname:Latics
• Founded:1932
• Manager:Roberto Martinez

• Ground:JJB Stadium
• Capacity:25000

Injuries hurting Hutchings

22 Oct 2007 - 11:59:02

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Wigan Athletic boss Chris Hutchings believes that injuries to a number of key players are a major factor in his side's recent run of seven league games without a win.

A 2-0 home reverse at home by Portsmouth left the Latics far too close to the bottom of the Premier League table for comfort, with Hutchings ruing a damaging injury list.

He told the Wigan Observer: "We can't moan too much about injuries because they are part and parcel of football, but they have disrupted us a little bit.

"We were without Mario Melchiot and Luis Antonio Valencia, Emile Heskey we all know about, then Antonie Sibierski came off with a knock.

"Sibierski had been out for the last two games and Denny Landzaat was missing for four or five weeks before Saturday.

"They are all big players for us and hopefully once they all come back, we will be a different outfit.

"Valencia did a bit of training on Friday after coming back from international duty with Ecuador, but he has got some fluid on the knee which means he hasn't got a full range of movement yet.

"We have to make sure he is right, otherwise rushing him could set him back another two or three weeks. He gives us a cutting edge, putting people on the back foot."