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Club News

Week of change for Latics

1 February 2013

Club News

Week of change for Latics

1 February 2013

Four new boys in line for debuts

Latics will have a new-look side in tomorrow's npower League One match at Walsall.

Chris Iwelumo, Lee Barnard, Jonathan Obita and Paul Murray have been captured and all feature in tomorrow's squad.

In addition, four of last Saturday's victorious starting line up against Liverpool will not be playing against the Saddlers.

Matt Smith, Robbie Simpson and Youssouf M'Changama are ruled out through injury while Reece Wabara's loan from Manchester City has ended.

Paul Dickov's message is to forget the cup victory against Liverpool and another mouth-watering home tie against Everton in the last 16 of the FA Cup with Budweiser.

Latics' manager added that his team has important league matches against Walsall, Yeovil and MK Dons before they can contemplate playing the Premier League side.

"It was a fantastic day for everybody and Everton will be another great occasion, but we have to put that to the back of our minds. We have league games to win first because we need points," explained Latics' manager.

Dickov added that it is the magic of the cup that Latics, with only one point from a possible 24, should go out and defeat the Barclays Premier League giants.

"It is the FA Cup and people are talking about our form and winning, but look at Conference team Luton winning at Norwich and MK Dons doing likewise at QPR. Results like that happen all the time," he said.

Dickov added he is looking to take Sunday's performance against Liverpool into tomorrow's game at the Banks's Stadium.

He said: "We have to take the performance, and confidence gained from it, into tomorrow's game.

"It won't be easy as Walsall have done fantastically well, but we will go full of confidence and trying to win the game and gets points on board.

"Nobody needs to tell me we need to start picking up positive results in the league where out form has not been good enough."

After a disappointing start to the campaign, Dickov added Walsall have kicked on and established themselves in mid-table.

Before last Saturday's defeat at Colchester, Walsall had won four successive matches and they have recorded victories in six of their last eight matches.

The Walsall side includes defender Dean Holden and midfield man Sam Mantom both of whom have had spells with Latics.

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