Wigan Athletic Preview

By Mark Heys
December 19 2005

Bolton Wanderers are just three games away from making a third trip to the Millennium Stadium as they take on local rivals Wigan Athletic in the Carling Cup Quarter Final at the JJB Stadium tommorow evening.

The Trotters where losing finalists in this competition two years ago when suffering a defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough so they will be as eager as ever to going some way to putting that right when making only their second trip to Wigan in the last decade.

Athletic have already beaten the Wanderers at home this season and are buoyed by the fact that a short winless run came to an end in fine style against Charlton Athletic last Saturday.

Centre half Tal Ben-Haim returns to the Bolton team after missing the win over Everton due to suspension and there may also be a swift return for hamstring victim Ricardo Gardner.

Sam Allardyce has already promised changes to his Wanderers line up so Martin Djetou and Ricardo Vaz-Te may force their way into the starting eleven after impressing in cameo roles in recent weeks.

Nicky Hunt continues to make sound progress since returning from a two month injury lay off and will play some part in the squad which takes on the high-flying Latics.

Wigan are without much travelled Irish striker David Connolly, Australian international Josip Skoko and the ex-Wanderer Emerson Thome. Experienced defensive duo Stephane Henchoz and Arjan De Zeeuw are doubtful with knee and leg injuries so ex-Everton and Norwich stopper Matt Jackson may once again get the nod to play.

This will be the first league cup meeting between these two sides for eighteen years and a place in the last four of the competition will be motivation enough for each team.

LEAGUE CUP RECORD

18/08/1987 WIGAN ATHLETIC 2 (Campbell, Thompson) BOLTON WANDERERS 3 (Morgan 2, Chandler)

25/08/1987 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Thomas) WIGAN ATHLETIC 3 (Campbell 3)

LEAGUE CUP FORM GUIDE:

Played: 2

Won: 1

Drawn: 0

Lost: 1

CONNECTIONS

Paul Comstive, Wayne Entwistle, Simon Farnworth, Gareth Farrelly, Dave Felgate, Per Frandsen, Scott Green, Tony Kelly, David Lee, Paul Lodge, Neil Redfearn, Ian Seddon, Stuart Storer, Greg Strong, Steve Taylor, Emerson Thome, Chris Thompson, Stuart Whittaker

IT HAPPENED WHEN BOLTON PLAYED WIGAN

Goals from Henri Camara and Lee McCulloch gave Wigan the honours in the first ever Premiership meeting between the two clubs back in October.