Wigan Athletic will be starting their preparations for the new campaign on Tuesday as they make the trip to Sir Tom Finney Stadium in order to face Bamber Bridge.
The non-league side have already kickstarted their pre-season campaign with a fixture against Preston North End, and they will be hoping for an improved result this time around.
Match preview
Bamber Bridge were back in action on Saturday for the first time since their season ended as they played Preston in a friendly which led to a 3-0 defeat.
The non-league side put in a strong performance in order to showcase themselves in a game that saw several unnamed trialists get some minutes in order to try and earn a future contract.
That is commonplace during pre-season matches for non-league teams, and this particular match will no different in that respect, with Bamber Bridge likely to feature new faces once again.
Last season the squad managed to finish sixth in the Northern Non-League Premier division in what was an impressive campaign for them as they won 21 of their 42 games.
Bamber Bridge were offensively impressive throughout that campaign having scored 67 goals, but they equally struggled defensively after conceding 59, which was more than anyone in the top half.
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While the hosts have managed to play one game already, this will mark Wigan's first match of pre-season as they begin to prepare for their new campaign in the Championship.
The 2021-22 season was a great one for the Latics as they won League One in dominant fashion, losing only eight games throughout the entire campaign.
Wigan were offensively dominant as they scored 82 goals, which was more than any other team in the division, but they will be aiming to improve at the back in pre-season.
Leam Richardson's men let in 44 goals throughout that season, which is something they will want to focus upon ahead of their time in the Championship.
There has been a distinct lack of new signings for the Latics in summer so far, but the squad that got promoted remains for them, which they will no doubt believe is strong enough.
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Bamber Bridge focused on giving new faces a run out in their most recent pre-season friendly as their defeat against Preston featured several trialists.
Those that impressed could be given another opportunity in this particular match, which could lead to them signing a contract, while the retained list of players from last season will be continuing to push for fitness.
For Wigan, this game will provide a chance to give the full squad a run-out, and there is no doubt that there will be a lot of changes made throughout the 90 minutes.
The Latics have not been active yet in the transfer market, which has been a cause for concern amongst some fans, but it will lead to opportunities for last season's squad to prove themselves once again.
We say: Bamber Bridge 1-3 Wigan Athletic
Bamber Bridge proved that they are no pushovers during their recent match against Preston North End, and they will be looking to continue in that vein on Tuesday night.
Despite that, the visitors should be able to get a victory with Wigan Athletic having a stronger squad that has plenty of momentum following promotion.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
