Ryan Lowe waxes lyrical on Wigan Athletic's 'pass master' Matt Smith - and clarifies his 'more robust' comments

The 24-year-old midfielder missed the whole of the second half of last season after sustaining a serious hamstring injury at Rotherham on Boxing Day.

However, after successfully negotiating 75 minutes against Stockport County in the Carabao Cup last Tuesday, Smith made his long-awaited league return against the same opponents on Saturday.

Appearing as a second-half substitute with Latics 1-0 down and second best, a Smith-inspired Latics dominated the second period and thoroughly deserved their 1-1 draw.

"He changed the game, and fair play to him," acknowledged Lowe. "We needed to get some minutes into him in midweek, and he was disappointed that his pass completion wasn't what it should have been.

"But wow, I think on Saturday it was 100 per cent, and we know how good a player he is. He's a proper footballer, he's a pass master...and keeping him fit is going to be the real test for him and us.

"If he stays fit, that is what he can give you. We needed someone to get hold of the game, we needed someone to give us more options.”

Smith's Latics future appeared to be in doubt when Lowe spoke of his need for 'more robust’ individuals for the rebuild because of the number of players who were sidelined by injury last season.

Many took that to be a sign that Smith would be moving on - but the truth could not be any more different.

"What I meant was I need robust players, who are able to play 25-plus games, which Matt didn't do last season," explained Lowe.

"And he 's been out for eight months, so we still have to be mindful of that injury that he had. It wasn't just an ankle knock, it was a big injury to his thigh, which required an operation.

What I said about robust players, I did mean it. What we're doing with Tyrese (Francois), with Baba (Adeeko), who had their injury problems last season - and Smudge is in that bracket - is we're having to give them extra recovery days.

"If they need to do extra gym work to get stronger and fitter, then we will do that - and that's on them as well as us.

"We've got two fantastic strength and conditioning coaches in Jimmy (Barrow) and Jack (Winnard), who know what they're doing.

"I leave all that to them, and I trust them to get that right. Hopefully, touch wood, we can keep them fitter than was the case last season.

"Otherwise, they are no good to me, no matter how good a player they are...and I think that's maybe what I meant in terms of wanting more robust players.

"If someone is out for six weeks every few months, they're no good to me, and no good to the football club. We're trying to build up that robust nature - not just with Matt, but with all of the players."

On the prospect of having a fully fit Smith at his disposal, Lowe added: "I don't have to big up Matt Smith, because of where he's been and what he's already done.

"He's a pass master, and that's what we have been looking for. That's no disrespect to any of the other lads who have played in there, because they are all good players.

"They're all good players, but what I need them all to be is fit as well, and be able to sustain that fitness over the course of a season.

"Matt will be a bit disappointed in terms of his pre-season, he could have come back a bit fitter and stronger...and he then picked up another niggling injury. But if we can keep him fit, there's no doubt what he can give us."