Keen to make a return to winning ways in the Championship, Burnley will make the short trip to take on Wigan Athletic on Saturday.
The Clarets are without a victory in four league outings since the opening day, while their hosts find themselves unbeaten having played a game fewer.
Match preview
© Reuters
Following their promotion back to England's second tier last season, Wigan Athletic have made a positive start to the new term and remain undefeated thus far, having firstly played out a goalless draw with Preston North End.
Leam Richardson's side then earned a creditable point away at newly-relegated Norwich City, as James McClean's early opener was cancelled out by Max Aarons, before playing out a third league draw on the spin against Bristol City thanks to Nick Powell's second-half equaliser.
Their scheduled trip to Coventry City was then postponed, but the Latics would return to action last Saturday away at Birmingham City and post a first league win of the season.
The Lancashire outfit appeared to be on the back foot as they were fighting with 10 men from the 10th minute, as a result of Joe Bennett's red card, but they fought to stay level and would eventually snatch all three points as Nathan Broadhead netted the only goal eight minutes from time.
Having defied the odds to win that game and stay unbeaten with six points from four games, Richardson's men will fight to extend their pleasing start to the campaign on Saturday but face a tough test.
© Reuters
Somewhat unexpectedly, Burnley find themselves hoping to arrest a four-game winless run in the Championship following their relegation last season.
The Clarets began life back in the second tier under the new management of Vincent Kompany, and they quickly put three points on the board in the opening round of games, beating Huddersfield Town 1-0 away from home thanks to Ian Maatsen's goal in a dominant display.
They have been unable to build any momentum since that opening-day triumph, though, firstly having to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to Luton Town before being beaten 1-0 away at fellow promotion-hopefuls Watford and held to a draw at home to Hull City.
In their most recent Championship outing last Saturday, the Clarets hosted Blackpool, and they looked set to stride to a victory, leading 3-1 in the first half through a Josh Brownhill opener and a Nathan Tella brace, only to be pegged back in the final 20 minutes as Shayne Lavery and Jerry Yates got on the scoresheet in quick succession to force a 3-3 draw and a share of the spoils.
While the league table is still yet to fully take shape after just five games, Kompany may be slightly concerned by his side's points tally, and, on the back of a 1-0 EFL Cup win away at Shrewsbury Town, thanks to Samuel Bastien's goal, they will look to put a second win on the board to kickstart a positive run and avoid losing early ground in the fight to climb back to the Premier League.
- D
- D
- D
- W
- D
- D
- L
- D
- W
- W
- D
- L
- D
- D
- W
- D
- L
- D
- D
- W
Team News
© Reuters
Wigan Athletic will be unable to call on defender Joe Bennett, after his red card away at Birmingham, and right-back Ryan Nyambe is perhaps most likely to come in and deputise out of position on the left-hand side of the back four in his absence.
First-choice goalkeeper Ben Amos is also ruled out through injury, meaning Jamie Jones will again play between the sticks, while not many other changes are anticipated, with Jack Whatmough and Jason Kerr bound to partner up in defence and Tom Naylor and Max Power continuing to play key roles in the engine room.
Attacker Nathan Broadhead will force Richardson into another dilemma after scoring their winner off the bench last time out, while Charlie Wyke may again feature after recently making a return from a long-term health concern.
Burnley will also be missing their primary left-back through suspension on Saturday, after Ian Maatsen was sent off against Blackpool, and Charlie Taylor may have to move back across in his absence with CJ Egan-Riley likely to come into the back line alongside Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Elsewhere, Samuel Bastien will hope that his goal against Shrewsbury in the EFL Cup will be enough to get him back into their Championship starting XI, although Kompany's midfield trio appears to be relatively set with Josh Cullen, Josh Brownhill and Jack Cork all playing key roles in a 4-3-3 setup.
Competition is also rife in the attacking areas, with Jay Rodriguez preferred as the lone striker over Ashley Barnes in recent weeks, while Nathan Tella hit a brace against Blackpool from the left wing last week with Vitinho, Manuel Benson, Darko Churlinov and the returning Johann Berg Gudmundsson also battling for spots in the front three.
Wigan Athletic possible starting lineup:
Jones; Darikwa, Kerr, Whatmough, Nyambe; Power, Naylor; Lang, Keane, McClean; Broadhead
Burnley possible starting lineup:
Muric; Roberts, Harwood-Bellis, Egan-Riley, Taylor; Cullen, Cork, Brownhill; Vitinho, Rodriguez, Tella
We say: Wigan Athletic 1-1 Burnley
Burnley are yet to reach the heights they are capable of in the Championship this term, and their hosts will have plenty of confidence given their positive start to the season.
Ultimately, with Kompany yet to find a winning formula, we can envisage the Latics forcing a share of the spoils on home turf at the weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
