Wigan Athletic: This Steven Sessegnon attribute will be Shaun Maloney’s biggest miss.
Wigan Athletic have endured a disappointing start to the new EFL season and have won just one game out of six across all competitions.
While the Latics’ EFL Cup exit in the first round via a penalty shootout defeat to Barnsley was undoubtedly painful, Shaun Maloney’s men will be most concerned by the fact that they have lost three of their four League One outings so far, while their solitary victory of the campaign, a 1-0 win over Crawley Town in the third tier, came as a result of an own goal.
The poor form displayed by the Latics so far this season was epitomised by their 2-1 defeat, on home soil, in the EFL Trophy against Morecambe, who currently sit bottom of League Two, with five defeats in as many fourth tier games.
Latics will miss Sessegnon’s versatility
The immediate consequence of Sessegnon’s injury was that, due to the fact Maloney had already used all of his substitutes, the Latics had to play on at St Andrew’s with just ten men on the field of play late on in the second half, and eventually suffered a stoppage-time defeat.
But while Sessegnon is one of Wigan’s most technically gifted players, it is his versatility that the Greater Manchester side will miss the most, as he is able to play in either full-back position, at wing-back, and even in central midfield when called upon.
The Latics are already struggling this campaign, and the prospect of having to deal without such a key player for a duration of up to six weeks is not a healthy one to say the least.
Furthermore, it is not just Sessegnon’s on-field influence Maloney and co will miss during his absence, as he is a key man in the dressing room, and was recently made a part of the club’s leadership group, as reported by Wigan Today.
Latics fans will be anxious to see an upturn in form
Now that their club is free from such restrictions, many Latics fans had hoped for a more promising transfer window, but witnessed a summer in which their side did not sign a senior striker despite the exits of Josh Magennis, Charlie Wyke and Stephen Humphrys.
While there is still plenty of time for Maloney and co to turn things around, many supporters will feel as though the current poor performances on the field are due to an underwhelming transfer window, despite some promising signings such as Dion Rankine, brought to the club on a permanent deal from Chelsea.
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