Preview: Wigan Athletic vs. Millwall - prediction, team news, lineups

Wigan Athletic welcome playoff-chasing Millwall to the DW Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the Championship, with the hosts knowing defeat would confirm their relegation to League One.

The Latics recorded a much-needed success at Stoke City last time out, whilst Millwall were left frustrated after losing to Birmingham City at The Den.

Match preview

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Wigan ended a losing run of three matches on Tuesday night with a 1-0 win in Staffordshire against Alex Neil's Potters, with Will Keane's second-half strike proving the decisive moment in the game.

Having last won an away outing at Rotherham United in October, success at the bet365 Stadium was the most welcome of surprises for the Latics, with those three points keeping alive their chances of playing Championship football next season.

The task at hand for Shaun Maloney's side is still enormous - Wigan remain bottom of the league table despite that win last time out, seven points behind 21st-placed Queens Park Rangers with just three matches left to play.

The Latics will need to find their shooting boots at the DW Stadium this weekend to avoid an immediate return to the third tier following their League One title last year, but Maloney's men have netted just 15 times in 21 matches on home soil.

Wigan have bested Millwall on their last two visits to the DW - both by a scoreline of 1-0 - what supporters would do another for a victory of any sort on Saturday afternoon.

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Millwall have now won just one of their last six Championship matches after an infuriating 1-0 loss at home to Birmingham on Tuesday night - a game in which the hosts' wastefulness in attack cost them dearly once again.

Blues' Lukas Jutkiewicz finished from a tight angle to give John Eustace's men the lead in the first half which led to an onslaught of Millwall pressure, but for the fifth time in six matches the Lions failed to score.

Gary Rowett will be worrying that his side are set to squander their top-six standing at the worst possible moment, with Millwall currently fifth in the standings, only two points ahead of seventh-placed West Bromwich Albion.

The simultaneous poor form of the playoff-chasing pack is the only genuine reason why the London-based club still find themselves inside the top six, and supporters will realise a continuation of their failures in front of goal will lead to a disappointing end to the campaign.

The Lions have struggled to impose themselves in an attacking sense on their travels this season, scoring only 19 goals in 21 outings away from The Den - the likes of Tom Bradshaw and Dutchman Zian Flemming will be hoping to change that on Saturday afternoon.

Team News

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Wigan are light in forward areas ahead of the visit of Millwall, with Luxembourg international Danel Sinani sidelined for the remainder of the campaign due to a knee injury.

Martin Kelly's loan spell from West Brom has not gone as envisaged - the 32-year-old managed just one game for the Latics before suffering a knee injury which has ended his season.

Millwall missed the presence of Murray Wallace at left-back in Tuesday's defeat to Birmingham, with Scott Malone set to deputise once again for the 30-year-old who is expected to be out for a few weeks.

Charlie Cresswell and Tyler Burey are edging closer to fitness following their head and hip injuries respectively, although both are unlikely to feature from the start in this one.

Wigan Athletic possible starting lineup:

Jones; Nyambe, Whatmough, Rekik; Darikwa, Power, Tiehi, McClean; Lang, Keane, Magennis

Millwall possible starting lineup:

Long; McNamara, Hutchinson, Cooper, Malone; Mitchell, Styles, Burke, Flemming, Esse; Bradshaw

We say: Wigan Athletic 1-2 Millwall

Wigan will be looking for back-to-back victories in order to keep their survival hopes alive but face a difficult assignment against a Millwall side playing for a top-six finish.

The Lions will be desperate to put things right after a limp display against Birmingham, and with the Latics needing to go for a victory, Rowett's men could be afforded some extra space in attack that Bradshaw and company will exploit.

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