Wigan v West Ham preview

Halting an alarming dip in form will be foremost in Wigan Athletic's thoughts when they welcome West Ham United to the DW Stadium.

The Latics still have just one win to show for their efforts this season, and that came against Southampton on 25th August. Six games have come and gone since then, with Roberto Martinez's men now perched just one point above the Premier League drop zone. A leaky defence must be plugged if Wigan are to start moving away from trouble, with two goals conceded in each of their last five fixtures on home soil. West Ham will be hoping that trend continues on Saturday, offering them a shot at least a share of the spoils. Sam Allardcye's men travel to the North West buoyed by their form since returning to the top flight, with only one defeat suffered in their last six top flight outings. They are handily-placed inside the top-half of the table and are only one point adrift of fourth-placed Everton.Wigan could be without winger Ryo Miyaichi this weekend. The Japan international is suffering from a slight groin problem and is rated as doubtful. The Latics will again be without winger Albert Crusat (knee) and defender Antolin Alcaraz (groin), with Martinez admitting the Paraguayan centre-back is unlikely to be back much before Christmas. West Ham will welcome defender Joey O'Brien back into their squad this weekend. The 26-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during the Hammers' 2-1 win at QPR at the start of the month and his return will ease Allardyce's defensive worries. Matthew Taylor (calf) and Guy Demel (thigh) could return to first-team action shortly, but Allardyce will have to wait a little longer for Ricardo Vaz Te (shoulder) and Jack Collison (knee), whose injuries are more long term.