Joe Royle will be able to call upon the services of Reuben Hazell when his side travel to Cheltenham Town today (KO 7.45pm).
The defender (pictured) makes a timely return from a two-match ban and he is likely to step straight into the side in place of the suspended Stefan Stam.
The team departed Boundary Park early this morning and will stop at a hotel in the Midlands prior to completing their journey to Whaddon Road.
And boss Joe Royle will have plenty to mull over on the long trip as he looks to arrest a run of three straight defeats which have knocked Latics six points off the play-off trail.
Royle has again named a 17-man squad and will wait on the fitness of Chris Taylor, who will face a late fitness test ahead of the game.
Elsewhere Danny Whitaker is again included after picking up a nasty gash on his leg during the weekend defeat for Tranmere.
Meanwhile striker Lewis Alessandra is recalled to the squad and there could be a Latics debut waiting for Chelsea winger Fabio Ferreira, who extended his loan spell yesterday.
Royle must decide whether to stick with the 4-3-3 formation he started with on Saturday or whether to revert to the 4-4-2 system Athletic have employed for the majority of the season.
Mark Crossley (back) and Dale Stephens (thigh) remain on the sidelines, but long-term injury victims Matty Wolfenden and Paul Black are now back in training.
Meanwhile new signing Ian Westlake is ineligible against his former club due to a clause in the agreement which saw the midfielder swap Whaddon Road for Boundary Park.
The Latics camp know that the coming week will be crucial to their play-off hopes, with two critical away games in the space of five days.
Standing in their way tonight will be a Cheltenham side who are giving it a real go under Martin Allen despite being slated as favourites for relegation.
Allen's outfit are 12 points from safety with nine games left to play (W 7, D8, L22, 29pts) but they have taken seven points from their last three outings to give themselves a fighting chance of survival.
Both the wins came at Whaddon Road (2-0 v Hartlepool and 1-0 v Tranmere), while only a late goal prevented the Robins from beating Huddersfield at the Galpharm Stadium on Saturday (2-2).
Well-documented financial problems meant that Allen was forced to tell every senior player they were free to find another club, and the Robins boss is working on a shoestring as he attempts to mastermind what would be an amazing feat of survival.
Cheltenham have, of course, already beaten Athletic this season, prevailing 1-0 in an FA Cup First Round Replay following a 1-1 draw in Gloucestershire. However, Latics took the points at Boundary Park in the corresponding league fixture back in August, winning 4-0.
Allen has drafted in Bristol City midfielder Frankie Artus in an attempt to bolster his wafer-thin squad. He will be without Lee Ridley, Shane Duff, David Bird and John Finnigan (all injured).
Former Latic Josh Low starts a three-match ban, while the hosts hope to have Paul Connor and Alan Wright back fit after both trained yesterday.
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Latics (from): Supple, Fleming, Eardley, Jones, Hazell, Gregan, Taylor, Smalley, Whitaker, Maher, Allott, Hughes, Alessandra, Kabba, Lomax, Liddell, Ferreira.
