Wigan Athletic boss reveals biggest problem area

Tom Naylor celebrates doubling the Latics lead at Swansea

The Latics boss went with Max Power and Tom Naylor at Swansea, and was rewarded with a fine display in the engine room - including a goal from the latter.

Rival boss hails 'mentality and fight' in Wigan Athletic camp

His decision to leave out fit-again Jordan Cousins and Graeme Shinnie - back from a one-game suspension - had raised a few eyebrows pre-game.

But Richardson explained his thought process - with one eye on the hectic schedule.

"It's probably the position where any two of the four could play any given week," he said.

"I just thought with the balance of the team, and relationships around the pitch, it was right to go that way at Swansea.

"Obviously Jordan has had a lot of games in such a short space of time after we lost him for such a long period of time.

"To finish the (Stoke) game on Wednesday evening, to travel down to Swansea on Friday and be ready to go again on Saturday would have been a big ask.

"Sometimes you've got to make those decisions...sometimes they work and sometimes they don't.

"But the main thing is he remains fit and ready to go next time."

Richardson was also boosted by the return of striker Charlie Wyke to the starting line-up, and Callum Lang to the bench, after injury.

"I think any team in our position, if they're missing Callum, or Charlie, or Ryan Nyambe, or Ben Amos, it shows," he added.

"Callum's worked so hard to get himself back.

"He had a little bit of a recurrence the other week, but he's got his fitness levels and his sharpness levels back.

"But he's such an infectious character and you want him around the place as much as you can."

Richardson is sweating on the fitness of centre-back Jason Kerr, who limped off at Swansea after conceding the penalty that led to the hosts' late equaliser.

"Jason doesn't look great at the minute," he admitted.

"It looked like his knee he went down with, and he'll be scanned to see how bad it is."You know with Jason, he’d never have come off the pitch if there's any chance he could have stayed on.

"For him to make the decision to come off, that's concerning."