Wigan Athletic boss Ryan Lowe provides Jason Kerr injury latest after captain missed derby defeat
Wigan Athletic manager Ryan Lowe has explained why Jason Kerr did not feature in the defeat to Bolton Wanderers.
The captain was a much-missed presence at the back on Saturday, with Latics' defence buckling under the derby day pressure.
Lowe had said before the game that he hoped Kerr would be available, but pulled out the day before.
“We were going to give it a go, but then on Friday he decided it wasn’t quite right again," said Lowe.
"We needed a bit of a focal point, Christian (Saydee) being out suspended as well and young Carra (James Carragher).
"I said to the lads in the dressing room, I'm disappointed with the performance, I'm gutted, and it'll take a little while to get over it, in terms of a personal thing, just because of the way the goals were.
"We'll have to put it to bed, and when we get the next win, then I can forget about this. But for the time being, we've got to accept we weren't good enough."
Lowe refused to single anyone out for criticism after Saturday's defeat, saying the problems were collective.
The only person he did single out for criticism was for an honest assessment of some of his own instructions.
“I don't like singling anyone out, performance being good or being bad," he said. "But the lads know collectively it wasn’t good enough because they were slashing at clearances and not covering spots when the ball goes down the side.
“The third one, I think Smudge (Matt Smith) gives it away, I can take responsibility for that because I'm wanting them to play, I'm wanting to find them passes, and he just got intercepted.
“But what I won't take responsibility for is giving the lad 15 yards or two, and no one's going at him, so it's fine margins, isn't it? We weren't good at that side of things, and Bolton were."