Wigan Athletic vs. Blackpool- prediction, team news, lineups

By Calum Burrowes | 21 Sep 2026 12:32, Last updated: 21 Sep 2026 12:36

Aiming to secure a second successive EFL Trophy win, Wigan Athletic welcome Blackpool to the Brick Community Stadium, with the visitors yet to play a game in the competition.

Gary Caldwell's side are struggling for form in League One and moved to the bottom of the table with a narrow defeat to Wycombe Wanderers at the weekend, while the Seasiders started the new season brightly but are currently on a run of four games without a win.

Maintaining their League One status by the narrowest of margins at the end of the 2025-26 season, Wigan Athletic would have hoped for a stronger start to the new campaign to avoid another relegation battle.

However, off-field circumstances may have played a part in their recent results.

Latics goalkeeping coach and close friend of Caldwell, Kevin Miller, died during the week at the age of 57, with the weekend defeat following a minute's applause in his memory.

Wigan were unable to return to winning ways and recorded their fifth League One defeat of the season, alongside one win and one draw, leaving the Greater Manchester side rooted to the bottom of the table.

Despite their lack of positive results, Caldwell's side do enter Tuesday's clash with an EFL Trophy win behind them after narrowly beating Aston Villa Under-21s 3-2, a match in which they surrendered a two-goal lead before finding a late winner through Dara Costelloe.

As for the visiting side, Blackpool are yet to participate in the EFL Trophy and may welcome a break from League One football.

Led by Ian Evatt, the Seasiders closed out August with a 4-0 win over Peterborough United and entered September at the top of the table.

However, Blackpool have since suffered defeats to Barnsley, Reading and most recently Plymouth Argyle, with a draw at home to Bromley also coming during that run, seeing them fall down the table and end September without a league victory.

Evatt's side took the lead against the Pilgrims at the weekend and entered the break level at 1-1, but a chaotic second period followed, with the away side eventually winning 4-2 to continue Blackpool's winless run.

The Seasiders have managed a cup win already this season after beating Grimsby Town 3-1 at Blundell Park at the start of the season, something Manchester United could not do last year, before being knocked out by Championship newcomers Lincoln City a few weeks later.

The sides have met regularly over the last few years, but if Wigan are to win on Tuesday, it will be the first time since March 2024 after failing to overcome Blackpool in their last four meetings.

Wigan Athletic form (all competitions): 

With League One football taking priority for both sides, expect wholesale changes from Caldwell and Evatt.

The Latics are more likely to name a starting XI similar to the one that beat Aston Villa Under-21s last month, with Costelloe a potential option to lead the line from the start after coming off the bench to score in that clash.

Expect Joe Walsh to return in goal, with James Carragher also a potential option to resume in the back line despite being taken off at half-time in their recent League One defeat.

Scott Hogan is yet to start since signing for Wigan a few weeks ago, and Caldwell may feel Tuesday is the perfect opportunity for him to come into the fold.

The Seasiders are likely to rest Tom Bloxham after featuring heavily in their League One campaign already, with Dion Charles a candidate to come in up front, while Bailey Peacock-Farrell is expected to resume between the sticks.

J. Walsh; Carragher, Burns, Fox, Mellish; Power, Gray; Murray, Weir, R. Walsh; Hogan

Peacock-Farrell; Williams, Casey, Earl, Ashworth; Brown, Bowler, Anderson, Morgan; Charles, Yates

With both sides out of form and likely to name much-changed sides, Tuesday's EFL Trophy clash is difficult to call.

We expect a closely fought encounter, with Wigan just about having enough quality on the day to make it two wins from two in the competition.

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