The action continues in League One as Derby County journey to the DW Stadium to take on Wigan Athletic in a thrilling Boxing Day showdown.
Shaun Maloney's men have failed to win any of their last five home games against the Rams since December 2013 and will head into this one looking to end this poor run.
Match preview
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In their first meeting since suffering relegation from the Championship, Wigan Athletic were left empty handed as they suffered a 2-0 against Reading on Saturday.
Unlike the hosts, the Latics were guilty of a lack of bite in front of goal as Femi Azeez and Sam Smith scored in either half to hand Reading all three points at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
This followed a 3-2 defeat away to Port Vale on December 16, when Ethan Chislett scored a hat-trick, including an 83rd-minute winner, to end their run of nine back-to-back games without defeat across all competitions.
While Wigan have now failed to win any of their last four away games — picking up just two points in that time — they now return home, where they are unbeaten in four straight matches, claiming three wins and one draw, and have lost just once in their last eight games across all competitions.
With 23 points from 22 matches, Maloney's side are currently 18th in the League One standings, five points above the relegation zone, and could move level with 15th-placed Port Vale with all three points on Tuesday.
While Wigan can take pride in their home form, particularly when it has seen them surge from the danger zone, they will need to show their mettle when they go up against Derby County, who have picked up four wins and one draw in their last five visits to the DW Stadium.
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Derby's last visit to Manchester came back on Boxing Day of 2019, when 33-year-old Martyn Waghorn struck in the third minute of stoppage time to cancel out Joe Garner's 81st-minute opener and force a share of the spoils.
Paul Warne's men ensured that Tuesday's return to the DW Stadium will be in high spirits as they picked up a comfortable 3-1 victory over Lincoln City when the sides squared off last Thursday.
Daniel Mandroiu converted his penalty on the stroke of half time to cancel out Conor Hourihane's 26th-minute opener but Kane Wilson and James Collins scored second-half goals to hand the Imps their seventh league defeat of the season.
Since October's 3-1 loss at the hands of Stevenage, Derby have now picked up six wins in their seven league outings, with a 1-1 draw against Wycombe Wanderers on December 16 being the exception.
This superb run of results has seen the Rams rise to fourth place in the League One table, level on 40 points with Oxford United and Stevenage, and nine points off league leaders Portsmouth.
Team News
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Wigan will take to the pitch without the attacking duo of Martial Godo and 20-year-old James Balagizi, who continue their spells on the sidelines.
They are joined on the club's injury table by Scottish defender Jason Kerr, who has been sidelined since November 2022 through an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Thelo Aasgaard has been out of action since November and will play no part in Tuesday's game, while Matt Smith has been ruled out since coming off injured in September's game against Bristol Rovers.
With his assist against Lincoln, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing now has 12 goal involvements in the league (five goals and seven assists) and the veteran forward should retain his role in the XI.
Mendez-Laing should be joined in the Rams attack by 30-year-old Tom Barkhuizen and former Cardiff City man Collins, who netted his eighth goal of the season at the weekend.
In defence, Curtis Nelson and Eiran Joe Cashin have started each of the last six league matches and should form the centre-back pairing once again, with Joe Wildsmith starting between the sticks.
Wigan Athletic possible starting lineup:
Tickle; Sessegnon, Morrison, Clarke; Jones, Smith, Shaw, McHugh; Lang, McManaman, Wyke
Derby County possible starting lineup:
Wildsmith; Ward, Nelson, Cashin, Forsyth; Hourihane, Fornah, Bird; Barkhuizen, Mendez-Laing, Collins
We say: Wigan Athletic 1-2 Derby County
Looking at past results between Wigan and Derby County, we anticipate a cagey Boxing Day at the DW Stadium. Warne's men head into the game as one of the most in-form sides in the division and we fancy them claiming all three points in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joshua Ojele
