Latics wait on dynamic duo

Both men limped off in the final quarter of last weekend’s vital victory at Burton, which saw Latics slash the gap to safety to just three points with 20 games still to go.

Latics can climb out of the bottom three for the first time in weeks with a win against the Bees, and boss Warren Joyce will give Wildschut and Power every chance to prove their fitness.

“There’s one or two with niggles that we’re going to have to assess before the game,” the Latics boss acknowledged.

“Yanic’s one of those and we’ll have to see how he is.

“It’s just a bit of fatigue, the ground was quite heavy at Burton and that leads to a few niggles here and there.

“Max is the same, the heavy pitches pull on your hips and your groin, and it leads to a few aches and pains.”

Utility man Andy Kellett could also make a welcome return after three weeks out with a hamstring strain.

“He’s trained for a couple of days this week, and he’s okay from the injury that he was suffering from,” revealed Joyce. “But he’s got a bit of a stiff neck as well, and we’ll assess him too.”

There’s more positive news concerning midfielder Alex Gilbey, who’s been out since September with ankle ligament damage, and left-back Reece James, who has been out for exactly a year with a succession of ankle problems.

“They’ve had a few days training, and it’s so far so good,” Joyce added.

“They’ve been out for such a long time, it is a plus to see them back.

“But there’s still a long way to go. They’re good lads, good pro’s, they’ve looked after themselves really well, and we’ll approach it day by day.”