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 fighting at the wrong end of the table, sitting in the relegation zone in 22nd place, but are currently only two points away from safety. Their recent form has been poor, having seen four losses and one draw in their last five league games, with their last win coming at the end of December, when they beat Burton Albion away from home.
They come into this Tuesday’s game off the back of a heavy 6-1 away defeat to Peterborough United. Reading claimed the double over Wigan last season, winning 2-0 at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in the first few weeks of the season before following up with a 1-2 away win last March after second-half goals from Jayden Wareham and Tyler Bindon.
The boss
Glenn Whelan and Graham Barrow (interim managers): Wigan are on the hunt for their next manager after Ryan Lowe was sacked following their heavy 6-1 defeat to Peterborough over the weekend.
Lowe had been in charge for almost a year, having been appointed Wigan boss in March 2025. Former Stoke and Republic of Ireland midfielder Glenn Whelan and Graham Barrow have been placed in temporary charge of the Latics while they search for their next permanent managerial appointment.
Squad
Wigan signed four players during the winter transfer window with one arriving permanently and three joining on loan.
Their permanent signing was defender Jack Hunt, who joined on a free transfer following the end of his contract at Stockport County. Those joining on loan included midfielder Owen Moxon (Stockport), former Royals forward Caylan Vickers (Brighton & Hove Albion) and striker Joe Taylor (Huddersfield Town)
Wigan are expected to be without defenders Jason Kerr and James Carragher for this Tuesday’s game.
Predicted lineup
Tickle, Hunt, Aimson, Fox, Sessegnon, Murray, Moxon, Wright, Vickers, Saydee, Taylor
Key player
7. Fraser Murray: Midfielder Murray joined Wigan last summer on a free transfer following the end of his contract at Kilmarnock.
He started his career in the youth setup at Hibernian and made his debut for the club at the age of 17, back in 2016. He went on to make 30 appearances for Hibs while also spending time on loan at Dunfirmline Athletic. Murray went on to join Kilmarnock on a permanent deal in 2021 and made over a century of appearances for the club, scoring 14 goals.
He has five goals to his name so far this season, making him the club’s joint-topscorer so far. The 26-year-old Scotsman was capped at under-19 level, making three appearances for his country.
Murray is a versatile midfielder who can play in either the middle of the park or out wide and is a strong passer of the ball.
One to watch
8. Callum Wright Midfielder Wright joined Wigan on a season-long loan deal from Plymouth Argyle over the summer.
During his youth career he spent time at Tranmere, Everton, Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City, which is where he signed his first pro deal. Wright never made a first-team appearance for the Foxes, but spent time on loan at Cheltenham Town, before he moved to Blackpool on a permanent deal in 2022.
Wright only spent four months with the Tangerines before joining Plymouth Argyle, where he had his first proper settled period of first-team football. He has made 89 appearances for Argyle, scoring five goals.
He has already matched this goal tally this season with another five goals to his name in the 33 Wigan appearances he has made so far. The 25-year-old is an attacking midfielder who can play in the number 10 role and who is strong in the air.
