Blackpool hopeful of injury boost ahead of Wigan Athletic game following scare against Northampton Town

The Seasiders captain was subbed off during the second half of Tuesday night’s 1-0 victory over Northampton Town after experiencing some discomfort with his ribs- which was an injury that kept him out of action for a number of games back in November.

Ahead of the trip to the DW Stadium, Critchley states there’s no new concerns for Blackpool- as they look to build on their recent run of 13 points in their last six league outings.

"We’ve obviously got Andy Lyons who is out long-term, Albie (Morgan) is out for the next few weeks, Hubby (James Husband) as well; other than that we’re hopeful everyone else will be fine for Saturday,” he said.

"We’ll assess Ollie today, he was just struggling at the end of Tuesday’s game but he’s feeling better and we’ve still got 48 hours to go. Norbs is our captain and our leader, he’s well respected by everyone. You could see the vital role he played against Portsmouth at the weekend.

"Him and George (Byers) have struck up a good partnership, but so had him and Albie before that. Players play better when they play with him, he’s been a vital cog in our wheel.”

Karamoko Dembele was also replaced during the second half of the game at Sixfields due to fatigue but is recharged for the fixture against Wigan.

“He’s fine,” Critchley added.

"He’s not used to playing defensive midfield with 10-men like he did against Portsmouth. He was back inside our own penalty near the end of the game, clearing balls- his contribution has been fantastic. It tells you everything you need to know about him as a person, people always see his ability on the ball and his talent, but he also wants to work for the team and wants to help. He’s really intelligent in what he does, he’s got two sides to his game.

"He was tired the other night, understandably after Saturday; a lot of the players were, so to pick up three points was hugely important.”