Wigan v Fulham Premier League Preview: Murphy & Johnson Face Late Fitness Tests

Wigan Athletic v Fulham Premier League Match Preview

Wigan Athletic host Fulham in their English Premier League match at the DW Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Wigan, currently 12th in the EPL, will be hoping to banish the memory of last weekend’s 4-0 defeat to Premiership strugglers Portsmouth with a win against a Fulham who are still on a high after defeating Liverpool 3-1 at Craven Cottage in their last Premier League match, although Fulham suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of AS Roma in midweek.

Latics boss Roberto Martinez is hoping that defender Erik Edman will have recovered from concussion in time to face The Cottagers, while Wigan’s only other injury concern is fellow defender Maynor Figueroa, who is out for some time with a medial cruciate ligament injury.

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson will give a late fitness-test for skipper Danny Murphy, who has been recuperating from a knee injury, while striker Andrew Johnson is a major doubt, even though the former Everton and Birmingham City star has begun training with the Fulahm squad again after a long-term groin injury.

Fulham could also welcome back Damien Duff, Dickson Etuhu and Toni Kallio to the squad for the match against Wigan, with Hodgson giving late fitness-tests before the match.

Sunday 8th November 2009

Wigan Athletic (team to be chosen from): Kirkland, Bramble, Scharner, Gomez, Melchiot, Boyce, Edman, N'Zogbia, Diame, Thomas, Scotland, Rodallega, Koumas, Sinclair, Pollitt, Cho, Kapo, Kingson, Amaya, De Ridder, McCarthy.

Fulham (team to be chosen from): Schwarzer, Zuberbuhler, Konchesky, Pantsil, Hangeland, Baird, Smalling, Kelly, Hughes, Etuhu, Dempsey, Murphy, Gera, Andranik, Riise, Greening, Duff, Davies, Kamara, E Johnson, Zamora, Elm, Nevland, Seol Ki-Hyeon, A Johnson.