FA Cup: Wigan look for relief from league woes at Huddersfield
Last Updated: February 15, 2013 2:21pm
Roberto Martinez: Hoping for relief from league woes with Wigan
Wigan will be keen to avoid an FA Cup upset when they travel to Championship strugglers Huddersfield in the fifth round on Sunday.
The Premier League club visit a Terriers side under the new management of Mark Robins, who was appointed on Thursday following the sacking of Simon Grayson three weeks ago after a poor run of results.
Roberto Martinez's charges visit the John Smith's Stadium looking for some welcome relief from their Premier League woes, having failed to win in their last six encounters to leave them second-bottom of the table.
The Latics will hope to inject some life into their flagging campaign by extending their cup run, having beaten non-league Macclesfield 1-0 last time out to advance to the fifth round for the first time since 1987.
They travel to Yorkshire looking to bounce back from a deflating 4-1 defeat at the hands of Chelsea in the league last weekend.
Huddersfield were promoted to the Championship as play-off winners last season but have slipped to 18th in the table, having won just one league game since mid-November, against Crystal Palace last month.
They beat Leicester 2-1 in their fourth-round replay on Tuesday to advance and will have their eye on a spot in the quarter-finals to provide a much-needed boost as Robins takes charge of his first game.
The only previous meeting between the two teams came in the FA Cup back in 1977, when Huddersfield claimed a 2-0 home win.
But the Terriers' cup record against top-flight opposition is shaky, having lost 11 of their last 15 FA Cup matches, winning one and drawing three.
Huddersfld
Wigan boss Martinez could have several players back from injury for the trip to Huddersfield.
The manager has suggested defenders Antolin Alcaraz, Emmerson Boyce and Adrian Lopez and winger Ryo Miyaichi all have a chance of returning to action this weekend.
Martinez has also indicated he is likely to hand another opportunity to some fringe players that have come into the team for previous cup games this season.
Wigan
Huddersfield defender Peter Clarke and on-loan midfielder Neil Danns will return to contention for new manager Robins' first game in charge.
Clarke has missed the last fortnight under doctor's orders following concussion, while Danns was not given permission to play in Tuesday night's fourth-round replay win at parent club Leicester.
Defender Joel Lynch missed out on Tuesday night due to a tight hamstring and remains doubtful, but goalkeeper Alex Smithies is expected to return to the side following a family bereavement.
Right-back Jack Hunt, midfielder Oliver Norwood and striker James Vaughan, all rested by starting on the substitutes' bench in midweek, will also return to contention, but midfielders Danny Ward (foot) and Keith Southern (Achilles), plus strikers Lee Novak (foot) and Jermaine Beckford (hamstring) remain sidelined.
Opta facts
- Wigan have won six of their last 10 away FA Cup matches against sides from lower divisions.
- Roberto Martinez's side have kept only two clean sheets in their last nine in all comps. Both were in the FA Cup.
- Huddersfield's last seven goals in all competitions have been netted by different scorers.
Previous game's starting line-ups
4-4-2
-
1
Smithies
-
32
Hunt
-
5
P Clarke
-
6
Gerrard
-
2
Woods
-
7
Scannell
-
4
Norwood
-
10
Gobern O
-
8
Clayton
-
21
Beckford
-
18
Vaughan
Team taken from Huddersfld vs Barnsley (npower Championship) on Saturday 4th May 2013
4-3-3
-
26
Al Habsi
-
17
Boyce
-
25
Golobart
-
33
Scharner
-
18
Espinoza
-
4
McCarthy
-
8
Watson B
-
16
McArthur
-
14
Gomez
-
2
Kone
-
10
Maloney
Team taken from Wigan vs A Villa (Barclays Premier League) on Sunday 19th May 2013
