Caretaker boss provides update on growing Wigan Athletic injury list

Nathan Broadhead scores the winning goal against Blackburn last month

Latics were without forwards Will Keane and Nathan Broadhead for the 2-1 victory over Blackpool.

And centre-back Jack Whatmough limped off during the first half at the DW Stadium.

Given Ben Amos (cracked rib), Ryan Nyambe (knee), Tom Pearce (leg) and Jason Kerr (knee) were already long-term absentees, the month-long break could hardly have come at a better time.

"Will came off at Coventry in midweek, but it's nothing long-term," reported caretaker boss Kelly.

"Saturday came too soon for him, but he'll be okay.

"Nathan would have been involved today but we lost him in the week.

"He'd had a problem before in that area, and it wasn't one we felt we could take a chance with.

"Jack we think has tweaked his hamstring so we'll wait and see about that.

"We've obviously also lost Jason Kerr to a long-term problem.”

Kelly even went as far as suggesting Kerr had been knocking on the international door prior to his season-ending injury at Swansea on November 5.

"I'm actually quite surprised he hasn't been called up by Scotland, he'd been doing that well,” he added.

"He's adapted to the Championship so well, and it's obviously a shame we're going to be without him for so long."

Latics have also been without forwards Callum Lang and Charlie Wyke for large chunks of the campaign.

They have a four-week window now before returning to action at Millwall on December 10.