The worst news came out of Wigan Athletic today, as it was confirmed that striker Josh Stones has a severe foot injury that will likely put an end to his season.
This is a huge setback for the 20-year-old, who is currently on loan at Oldham Athletic, where he has gained many plaudits after joining them in December.
On Saturday he had put Oldham ahead, after scoring his third goal in just his fourth appearance for the National League side. But then was withdrawn following his injury in the first half against Hartlepool United.
Latterly he was seen leaving the ground on crutches wearing a protective boot. The worst feared news was confirmed today, by Wigan boss Shaun Maloney, and reported by Wigan Today.
“Josh isn’t good, unfortunately. It looks as though it could be anything between 10 and 12 weeks, which is obviously a real blow.
“He was on fire at Oldham and was due back on January 12 to compete for a place back here. It’s a ligament in his foot, it’s a bad one, and we’re all so disappointed.”
Stones injury is another headache for Maloney, as he confirmed that Scott Smith could be out for over a month after the midfielder limped off with a calf injury towards the end of the win over Carlisle United last Friday evening.
“Scotty’s damaged his soleus tendon, and he’ll be out for between four to six weeks. That’s also a real shame as Scotty was doing really well.”
Stephen Humphrys was also taken off during the Carlisle game and was later seen on social media sporting a large bump on his hip. “We don’t know about Stephen, and whether he’ll be okay for next week (against Manchester United).
“I know he’ll try everything he can to be fit, but that was a bad one, a lot worse than I thought it was at the time.”
Writer’s View
January can often be the toughest time for teams. Injuries hit harder, as games are played more often, and most of the time on heavy pitches. Wigan are not in a position to challenge for the playoffs, due to their points deduction, but Maloney will be aware of the relegation fight coming closer to his team and may need to dip into the transfer market to bolster his squad.
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