NEWS NOW: Wigan Athletic Football Club announced that 10 players were hurt and the goalkeeper and assistant coach of the club passed away in a bus accident yesterday evening.

The Latics would have hoped that Tuesday night’s EFL Trophy clash with Morecambe, who sit bottom of the League Two table, would have offered them some respite from their poor league form.

However, Shaun Maloney’s men suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of their fourth tier opponents, while the only positive of the evening for the Greater Manchester side was that summer signing Joe Hugill, on loan from Manchester United, scored his first goal for the club from the penalty spot.

Meanwhile, many Latics fans will not be best pleased by the club’s summer transfer activity, as Maloney and co did not manage to sign an experienced forward following the summer departures of Josh Magennis, Stephen Humphrys and Charlie Wyke.

After leaving the Brick Community Stadium at the end of his contract, Wyke joined League Two side Carlisle United, a pathway which winger Jordan Jones also took following his Wigan exit, albeit he momentarily returned to Greater Manchester on a short-term deal in August, before making the switch to Cumbria.

Wigan could be left jealous of Carlisle United transfer coups

Neither Wyke nor Jones endured easy stints with the Latics, but both could prove to be very strong signings for the Blues, who are vying for an immediate return to League One following last season’s relegation.

Wyke joined the Latics from Sunderland – then a fellow third tier outfit – in the summer of 2021, but shockingly suffered a cardiac arrest during a training session the following November, and would not return to action until the 2022/23 season.

The forward began his Wigan career in a strong manner as he scored five goals and produced two assists in 15 League One outings prior to his sad collapse.

Meanwhile, under the sturdy guidance of former boss Leam Richardson, the Latics were able to win the 2021/22 third tier title despite Wyke’s absence.

The former Bradford City man eventually fell out of favour with current Latics manager Maloney, and was sent on loan to Rotherham United back in January, where he would reunite with Richardson and gain a step up a division in the process.

While Wyke’s Latics stint did not go to plan, the Greater Manchester outfit still saw glimpses of his goalscoring quality, such as during the first half of last campaign when he scored seven goals in 18 league outings.