Injury has hampered George Elokobi's season at SportsDirect.com Park this season but he believes he is not far from full fitness heading into the final five games this season.
The defender, who signed for the club in August 2014, has found himself on the sidelines more than he had wanted this season but he has assured fans he should be back in the squad very soon.
"To pick up my injury was disappointing at the time because we were flirting with the play-offs at the time. Nobody knows what would have happened if I stayed fit.
"Locky has come in and he's not played all season so it's fantastic testament to him because he's done fantastic. Gerrard has come in and done well for us and we now have James Wilson back and he is an important and integral part of that defence. Millsy is back now as well from injury so it's only going to be better for the squad.
His injury has allowed younger players an opportunity to gain vital first team experience and Elokobi believes that will aid their future footballing careers.
"We had a lot of youngsters on the bench and they had been nowhere near the first team before which is good for them because it's a good experience for them.
"Playing for the youth team is completely different to playing for the first team. It's great to see them on the bench and it's only going to build them up for the future.
"At the same time, we had a lot of injuries and that didn't help our cause. These things happen in football and you have to take on the chin. I'm glad as a team and a club we tried our best to put in the best performances that we could.
"It doesn't matter who the manager is. If that's Mourinho and you take out seven starting players who are regular in the team, they are going to struggle. It's good to see that the likes of Dean Holden and Adam Lockwood at the time did well with the resources they had."
Asked if he would like to extend his contract with the club beyond this season, Elokobi responded: "Obviously, yes. I have enjoyed my time here and the fans have been fantastic to me.
"I have embraced them and this season has given me the platform to build on as many games as I can for next season. It's a great club to play for but I'll leave my future to the board of directors to decide and then I'll take it from there."
Watch the full interview on Latics Player.