Wigan Athletic chief's striking problem

Leam Richardson is keeping his fingers crossed some of his attacking walking wounded will be able to return for Wigan Athletic against MK Dons this weekend.
Callum LangCallum Lang
Callum Lang

With Kyle Joseph and Jamie Proctor already ruled out through injury, Latics left Callum Lang out against Charlton in midweek to protect a calf niggle.

But their plans were further hampered by Will Keane pulling up lame in the warm-up, which forced a 12th-hour rethink.

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“The punches keep coming, don’t they?” acknowledged Richardson, who has only Joe Dodoo to call on in terms of senior strikers.

“Will was playing, then he wasn’t...we’re also without Jamie Proctor, Kyle Joseph, Callum Lang...and there’s a lot of goals in there.

“Obviously goals win games, and that’s no disrespect to any of the other lads who did take to the field.

“But with our small numbers, it magnifies the size of the task.

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“And when you’re missing those goals and that creativity, it is a tough one.”

Richardson will give Lang and Keane every chance to prove their fitness, but will not risk either with such a hectic schedule to come.

“Callum, I don’t think is too serious, it’s days rather than weeks,” added the Latics boss.

“Will said he felt his groin in the warm-up, just before kick-off.

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“It’s something he first felt in training on Monday at the end of the session, but thought it was just a spasm and he declared himself fit.

"But then he started the warm-up and, when the intensity started to rise, it didn’t feel right.

“And where we’re at, we can’t really afford to be losing any more bodies through injury.

“It’s whether you err on the side of caution, or chance it knowing any result would give us a massive lift.

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“He didn’t feel comfortable doing that, and hopefully it’ll be another case of days rather than weeks.”

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