Form
Wigan Athletic finished 15th in League One last season, 10 points clear of the relegation places. This season marks their third straight year in the third tier, having been relegated from the Championship in 2023, after finishing 22nd in the league.
The Latics are currently hovering just above the relegation zone in 19th place, three points above the drop zone. Their recent form has been relatively strong, having seen two wins, two draws and one loss in their last five league games.
They come into
this weekend’s game off the back of a 2-0 home win against fellow strugglers Exeter City. Wigan’s home form has been stronger than their away, with only two of their 11 wins this season coming on the road.
The two sides faced each other last month with Reading picking up a 1-2 away victory after second-half goals from defenders Jeriel Dorsett and Paudie O’Connor.
The boss
Gary Caldwell: Caldwell was appointed Wigan manager last month, replacing Ryan Lowe and starting his second stint in charge of the Latics.
He had a 14-year professional career as a defender, starting off at Newcastle United, before also playing for the likes of Hibernian, Celtic and Wigan, where he became captain. He ended his playing career at Wigan, before taking up a coaching role with the club.
It wasn’t long until he was made manager, taking over from Malkay Mackay in 2015. Caldwell won promotion in his first full season, winning the League One title in 2016. He was sacked by Wigan partway through the 2016/17 season and went on to manage both Chesterfield and Partick Thistle.
He then had minor roles at Newcastle United, Manchester City and Hibernian before his move back into first-team management with Exeter. Caldwell spent close to three and a half years in charge of the Grecians, leading them to 14th-, 13th- and 16th-placed finishes in League One.
Wigan have seen a real turnaround in form since Caldwell took over, winning four of his eight games in charge. The Scotsman likes his teams to play aggressive, front-footed football, while also looking to hand opportunities to younger players.
Squad
Wigan signed four players during the winter transfer window with one arriving permanently and three joining on loan.
Their permanent addition was defender Jack Hunt, who joined on a free transfer following the end of his contract at Stockport County. Those coming in on loan included midfielder Owen Moxon (Stockport County), former Royals forward Caylan Vickers (Brighton & Hove Albion) and striker Joe Taylor (Huddersfield Town)
Wigan will have midfielder Callum Wright back for this weekend’s game as he returns from suspension.
Predicted lineup
Tickle, Aimson, Kerr, Chapman, Borges Rodrigues, Moxon, Weir, Murray, Bettoni, Wright, Taylor
Key player
15. Jason Kerr: Defender Kerr joined Wigan in August 2021 from Scottish side St Johnstone.
Kerr started his career at St Johnstone but made his professional debut at East Fife, where he spent two seasons on loan between 2015 and 2017. He then spent a season on loan at Queen of the South before breaking into the first team at St Johnstone in 2018. Kerr went onto become club captain at the Saints and made 147 appearances, scoring nine goals.
The 29-year-old has made over a century of appearances for Wigan since joining in 2021. The Scotsman was also capped by his country at under-21 level, picking up six caps. Kerr is a centre-back who is strong in the air, while also being an effective passer of the ball.
One to watch
10. Joe Taylor: Forward Taylor joined Wigan during the winter transfer window, signing on loan for the rest of the season from Huddersfield Town.
He spent time at Norwich City and Kings Lynn Town during his youth career and made his professional debut at Kings Lynn in the National League. He went on to join Peterborough United in 2021, making his EFL debut in March 2022.
Taylor signed for Luton in 2023 but only made 19 appearances for the Hatters over the course of two years, spending time out on loan at Colchester United and Lincoln City. A permanent move to Huddersfield Town followed last January, where Taylor has scored nine goals in 42 appearances.
The 23-year-old is currently on a hot streak at Wigan, scoring nine goals in 13 appearances since signing on loan. Taylor is a high-energy, pacy centre-forward who is a good finisher.
