Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez has revealed that midfielder Ben Watson will not require an operation to correct his broken leg.

The 27-year-old sustained the injury during Wigan's 3-0 defeat to Liverpool at the weekend.

It had initially been feared that he could be out of action for the remainder of the season. However, Martinez has claimed that he could now have the former Crystal Palace player back at his disposal sooner.

"It's not as bad as it could have been, that's for certain. It's still a very serious injury and we need to ensure that Ben is given all the time that he needs to make a full recovery," Martinez told the club's official website.

"The good news is that he won't be out for as long as we initially thought and with the character that Ben has, he will be able to deal with such an injury."

Watson joined Wigan from Palace in 2009.