Latics head groundsman Lee Williams and his staff are taking no chances with the expected bad weather due prior to the visit of Walsall on Saturday.

Lee contacted Manchester City head groundsman, Roy Rigby at the City of Manchester stadium who in turn put Lee in touch with Steve Malone at City's training complex at Carrington.

The result was City lending Latics their pitch covers, so Athletic can give the Boundary Park pitch double coverage of frost covers, following the disappointment of losing the Brentford game to the icy blast.

Roy Rigby at City said " We don't normally lend out our pitch covers...but because of the club's special relationship with Athletic over the years, we made an exception to the rule". 

Lee commented "We would like to place on record our thanks to everyone at Manchester City Football Club and to the staff at HTF Transport for their help with this matter".