Early team news: Blackpool v Wigan Athletic

The Latics boss was without SEVEN first-teamers – Curtis Tilt, Darnell Johnson, Kal Naismith, Lee Evans, Viv Solomon-Otabor, Gavin Massey and Will Keane – for Saturday’s 3-2 home defeat to Northampton.

While former Blackpool man Solomon-Otabor is a long-term absentee with a ‘serious’ ankle problem, and Wales international Evans out for ‘weeks’ with a similar injury, Sheridan is hoping some of the less serious casualties may be in contention for a return.

“Hopefully we’ll have one or two back,” he said.

“We’ve got so many out injured at the moment, I’m hoping one or two bodies might be returning.”

The problem is exacerbated by Latics being limited to a 23-man squad while in administration – with the added constraints of so many of their recruits coming in desperately short of first-team football.

“We do definitely need more players – and I’ve said that a few times already this season,” acknowledged Sheridan.

“We knew with the players we’ve brought in – who are chasing, trying to catch up quickly – we would be risking injuries.

“We need personnel, we need players to strengthen us, definitely.

“But we can’t bring in any more players until the takeover’s done, so we’re in that situation.”

On the takeover, he continued: “It was apparently last week, they had meetings last week, now it might happen this week, we don’t know.

“In the meantime, we’ve just got to get on with it, and that’s the only way you can look at it.

“I’m trying not to make excuses, even though we are a very young team at the minute.

“But at the end of the day, I’m not stupid, I’ve been in the game long enough to know the results aren’t good enough.

“We need to win football matches and, at the minute, we’re not winning them.”

Latics dropped into the relegation zone at the weekend – and Sheridan is desperate to get out as quickly as possible.

“We know where we are, and we’re getting into a position where we don’t want to be,” he added.

“It’s nowhere near good enough. Nowhere near good enough.

“You look at the results and we should be doing a lot, lot better.

“I’ve just to keep encouraging and encouraging the lads, and hopefully results will turn for us.”

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