Bruce must lift tired players

With four of the six sides below Wigan picking up points, Sunday's home game at Aston Villa has taken on extra importance with at leasta point vital to hault the teams slide down the table.

However Bruce faces a challenge with some of his stars exhausted after playing so soon after returning from international duty. He said: "The boy (Maynor) Figueroa, at the death, didn't even have the strength to kick it, bless him.

"But he'd just got off the plane on Friday morning at 7am, so I knew we would tire. And that's why we needed 11 men. "

Bruce can take heart in Daniel De Ridder's performance. The Dutch winger made an immediate impression in his first start since becoming his manager's first signing of the summer.

Aston Villa have a huge mid-week UEFA Cup game against Ajax to worry about before they tavel to the JJB Stadium.