Manager John Sheridan has a bolstered squad  to choose from ahead of tomorrow's game against Southend United at Roots Hall (KO 3pm).

The Boundary Park chief faced something of a striker shortage for the midweek Cup clash with Cheltenham, with Matty Wolfenden and Lewis Alessandra finishing the game up front.

But Shez will be able to count on his big guns once again tomorrow as both Lee Hughes and the on-loan Darren Byfield are set to come back into the reckoning.

Hughes missed the Cheltenham defeat due to a one-match ban while Byfield was refused permission to play in the FA Cup by parent club Doncaster Rovers.

That means Alessandra and Wolfenden are likely to drop to the bench, although Chris O'Grady could also provide competition for a sub spot after returning from a loan spell at Bury.

Meanwhile Neal Eardley will challenge Kelvin Lomax for the right-back spot after arriving back in the UK following a spell on international duty with Wales.

Athletic go into the game looking to put the disappointing 1-0 FA Cup defeat against Cheltenham Town behind them and will be boosted after a 1-0 win at Northampton last week.

Only two points seperate the two sides in the League One table with Latics holding a narrow lead. 

But Southend - who have won five, drawn two and lost just one of their home games so far - have lost just once in their last 13 outings and will be hoping to give Steve Tilson something else to celebrate tomorrow as he marks five years at the helm.

Brighton (0-2) are the only team to have won at Roots Hall in the League this season, back in August.  Southend have won four and drawn two of their last six home games.

They also triumphed on home turf in midweek, overcoming non-league Telford 2-0 in an FA Cup First Round Replay after the original tie ended in a draw.

On the injury front, Deane Smalley has not travelled with the squad and will remain at Boundary Park for treatment on the hip injury which forced him off against Cheltenham.

Midfielder Danny Whitaker will travel south with the team but is rated as no better than 50/50 ahead of the game.  He faces a late fitness test tomorrow morning.

United's Tilson has been suffering from a striker crisis and had five forwards unavailable for the Telford game.

The experienced Dougie Freedman is still out and Jean-Francois Christophe serves the second game of a three-match ban.  But Alex Revell has trained and should be available.

Tilson will also be able to call on the services of loanee Adam Federici, who will challenge ex-Latic Steve Mildenhall for a place in goal.  Fellow loanee Dan Harding also comes back into contention.

But loan deals for Lee Sawyer and Hal Robson-Kanu have expired and the duo have returned to their parent clubs.

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Latics (from): Crossley, Eardley, Stam, Whitaker, Allott, Hughes, O'Grady, Lomax, Fleming, Hazell, Maher, Gregan, Wolfenden, Taylor, Lee, Stephens, Liddell, Byfield, Alessandra.