Back to square one for Wigan Athletic, bemoans Paul Cook

Latics were among the division's form sides before the season was put on hold - with three wins and three draws from their last six matches, including four clean sheets.

But it will be back to square one when the side heads to Huddersfield this weekend.

"You can't just pick up where you left off, and that's the brutal truth, you just won't," acknowledged Cook.

"We were in such a great place when the season was postponed, we were a balanced team and we were playing really well.

"Yet earlier in the season, we'd been on a similar run only everything was the opposite.

"That's football, you've just got to play what's in front of you and pick up as many points as we can.

"It's not going to be the teams that are easiest on the eye from the off.

"It's going to be the teams that adapt the quickest, and get their rewards.

"We've obviously got the boost of having Jedi (Antonee Robinson) around, which wouldn't have been the case had the season gone on.

"But we've got fresh injuries, there's the contract stuff going on...it's just a difficult time for players and managers."

Any injury worries will be offset by a tweak in the rules, which allows teams to name nine substitutes, from which they can field five.

Cook, though, reckons Latics will be one of the clubs that will benefit least from the rule.

"Every team will want to bring on as much freshness as they can, and I think that rule will favour the sides with the stronger squads," he added.

"The bigger teams have the bigger squads and that's something else we'll have to deal with.

"It's probably a good thing for the game, but another advantage to those near the top of the table...c'est la vie."