Preview: Millwall vs Wigan Athletic

As the World Cup continues over in Qatar, dominating the headlines, Championship action returns this weekend, with Millwall hosting Wigan Athletic at The Den.

Millwall who returned a week earlier than everyone else, with a 3-0 defeat to Sunderland which saw them drop out of the play-off places, will look to bounce back, as The Latics make the trip from Lancashire under new manager Kolo Touré.

The Latics currently sit 22nd in the league after their promotion from League one last season and due to their poor start to this campaign, they made the decision to sack manager Leam Richardson before the eve of the World Cup.

The replacement however was a surprising one, taking a gamble on Kolo Touré who will look to get his managerial career off too a good start, leaving his role as assistant manager at Premier League side Leicester City. Touré, of course, is known for his sparkling playing career as a centre back for the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool and will most likely look too shore up the Wigan defence to make them more solid, as the Latics have conceded the third most goals in the division this season.

Millwall manager Gary Rowett has described the Ivorian as “an experienced player with a vast experience of football”, mentioning that management was probably the most natural step in the already impressive career of Touré’s.

However, Millwall have to focus on their own game. After a disappointing result against Sunderland last weekend, in a game which they largely dominated, they need to get back on track. The Lions have the third best home form in the division, with The Den once again becoming a fortress for opposing teams.

Manager Rowett has stressed about the importance of The Lions home form, mentioning how difficult they make it for teams, making it imperative to collect points, especially considering how poor they’re away from home.

The Lions will be without Hungarian international Callum Styles, who injured his calf in the defeat to Sunderland. Benik Afobe (knee) is close to returning and Ryan Leonard (hamstring) will not feature, as they continue to recover from respected injuries. Tyler Burey will be available once again however, after the 21-year-old winger missed the trip last weekend, due to illness.

The Latics under Richardson in recent times, have opted for a five at the back formation, so it’ll be interesting to see which system Touré goes with on Saturday. Both Will Keane and Nathan Broadhead will be back in contention, after they missed the win over Blackpool before the World Cup break. They will be without goalkeeper Ben Amos and defenders Ryan Nyambe, Jason Kerr and Tom Pearce, as they’re still side-lined with injuries. Latics fans will hope defender Jack Whatmough is fit again, after he came off injured in their last game, with a hamstring problem.