Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is promising to give Chelsea a title fight - despite taking a severely depleted team to Stamford Bridge.
Martinez’s Latics scrambled a late draw to send down Hull yesterday but they are vowing to complete the double over Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
Wigan will have to go into the crunch clash without star pair Chris Kirkland and Titus Bramble who are OUT of the showdown after undergoing operations.
But Martinez insisted: “We will not be going there to play for Manchester United, we are going to play for ourselves. We have got nothing to lose.
“I can guarantee there is a feeling in the squad that we can compete against anyone. That is the approach we are going to have - we have never gone into a game trying to draw, we always look for the win.
“It is a unique challenge for any player, especially for our young ones. The whole world of football will be watching.”
Keeper Kirkland faces surgery on a finger and his shoulder, problems that will also end any slight hope of a late England World Cup call-up for the shot-stopper.
Kirkland’s absence means that on-loan Serbian Vladimir Stojkovic will face the might of Chelsea as they look for the win to clinch the Premier League title.
Stojkovic is set to make his farewell appearance for Latics in that game, with his form during a loan spell not enough to make the move full-time. He was jeered by his own fans yesterday.
Centre-half Bramble is also sidelined after surgery on a stress fracture on his right ankle. The defender has played with the injury but needed to have the problem fixed.
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