Preview: Cambridge United vs Wigan Athletic - prediction, team news, lineups

Cambridge United will be looking to get off to a winning start in League One when they welcome Wigan Athletic to the Abbey Stadium on Saturday.

The hosts are back in League One after earning promotion from League Two, while the visitors finished 16th in the third tier last season.

Match preview

Cambridge immediately bounced back from their League One relegation in the 2024/25 campaign to earn automatic promotion from League Two in 2025/26.

The U's finished third under head coach Neil Harris and have strengthened their squad with the additions of Isaac Heath, Callum Stead, Gassan Ahadme, Patrick Bauer, Callum Perry and Gabriel Breeze.

On the pitch, Cambridge enjoyed a productive pre-season as they picked up wins over Cambridge City, Southend United and Preston North End and drew with Northampton Town and Norwich City.

Cambridge also won their first competitive game of the new season, beating League Two side Barnet 2-1 in the EFL Cup last weekend.

Kabongo Tshimanga gave Barnet the lead, but goals from wingers Ben Knight and Isaac Heath earned Cambridge an important victory.

Wigan, meanwhile, were in a relegation battle last season and only finished seven points above the bottom four.

Manager Ryan Lowe was axed after a 6-1 thrashing by Peterborough saw Wigan drop into the relegation zone, with Gary Caldwell returning to guide the club to safety with seven wins, four draws and five defeats in their final 16 games.

Caldwell has strengthened his squad with the signings of Connor Barrett, Max Power, Sonny Perkins, Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen, Akeel Higgins, Joe Walsh, Ryan Trevitt and Archie Harris but the departure of Sam Tickle to Bristol City is a big loss.

Wigan had a mixed pre-season, suffering defeats to Port Vale, Bury and Grimsby Town, beating Fylde and drawing with Southport.

The Latics were also knocked out of the EFL Cup last weekend by Barnsley, losing 7-6 on penalties after drawing the game 1-1.

Cambridge United form (all competitions):

Wigan Athletic form (all competitions):

Team News

Cambridge are unlikely to make many changes from the team that beat Barnet, with goalscorers Knight and Heath likely to continue out wide.

Sullay Kaikai, who was Cambridge's top scorer across all competitions last season, could come into the side for Glenn McConnell.

Wigan are set to play a back three of James Carragher, Morgan Fox and Jon Mellish, with Conor Barrett and Fraser Murray acting as wing-backs.

Dara Costelloe will have a key role to play in attack, having scored against Barnsley last weekend, with support from Sonny Perkins and Chris Sze.

Cambridge United possible starting lineup:

Eastwood; Bennett, Jobe, Watts, Perry; McLoughlin, Ball; Knight, Kaikai, Heath; Appere

Wigan Athletic possible starting lineup:

Walsh; Carragher, Fox, Mellish; Barrett, Power, Weir, Murray; Sze, Costelloe; Perkins

We say: Cambridge United 2-1 Wigan Athletic

Cambridge are in better form than Wigan and had an excellent record at home last season, suffering just two league defeats. As a result, we are backing them to pick up a crucial victory.

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