McCarthy had initially targetted the clash with Arsenal as the game for his return after breaking his ankle against Bolton last year.
However Latics boss Roberto Martinez wants to make sure McCarthy is fully ready for action before plunging him in at the deep end.
Speaking to the Wigan Evening Post, Martinez said: “James is such a delightful character, he’s been desperate to get involved and his recovery has gone well.
“He has worked really hard behind the scenes, he’s begun training with the group again even though there are certain aspects of the game that he can’t join in with yet.
“He’s not far away, but the Arsenal game is probably looking a little bit too early for him. We need to make sure that when a player has been away for a long time you must be 100 per cent so as to avoid any risk of re-injury.
“That’s where we stand with James, but it is great to see his real quality back with us in training.”