The Ipswich centre-half is sidelined by suspension and misses the Championship promotion battle against Latics.
De Vos picked up his fifth booking of the season in Saturday's shock home defeat to Queens Park Rangers and the one-match ban will end his ever-present run in the Tractor Boys' team.
It's a huge blow for the Canadian international who spent a happy three years with Latics, skippering them to the Second Division title in 2002/03 and then to the brink of the play-offs last term.
He told the Evening Post: "I'm absolutely gutted to be out of the game because I was really looking forward to it.
"To get through 35 league games as a defender with just five yellow cards is quite an achievement, so to be suspended at this stage is so disappointing.
"What makes it worse is that the slate would have got wiped clean had I avoided being booked against QPR.
"All the people at Wigan will realise I'm not a dirty player and I felt the referee on Saturday got it wrong.
"Their striker tried to spin me, I got a foot on the ball but the lad went to ground.
"Unfortunately the referee saw that as a foul and as a bookable offence and I pay the price by not playing against Wigan.
"It's Murphy's Law really. I was booked twice in August and then went through to December before my next booking.
"I got another on New Year's Day and then held out until Saturday.
"When you go into a game, you're not thinking about yellow cards or possible suspensions, but as soon as I was booked at the weekend, I knew I would miss the Wigan game.
"I'll definitely come up to Wigan to support my team-mates, it's just a shame I won't be out on the pitch.
"I was really looking forward to it, not just because it's a game between two sides at the top of the table, but also because it's against my former club.
"I'll just have to use the situation as positively as I can, recharge my batteries and be ready for the rest of the season."
Latics and Ipswich go into Saturday's clash locked on 66 points with Sunderland currently sandwiched between them in the table.
The Black Cats play against Burnley on Friday night, and a win or draw at Turf Moor would take them top.
De Vos acknowledges it's a huge game in the race to reach the Premiership, but points out that nothing will be settled by one result.
He said: "There will be another 10 games to play after Saturday, so promotion isn't going to be won or lost at the JJB.
"It should be a great game, though, and everyone at Ipswich has a great deal of respect for Wigan and what they've achieved.
"I know first hand what a good club Wigan are, and all the lads are really excited about coming up and playing them. From my standpoint, the ideal scenario at the end of the season would be for both Ipswich and Wigan to get promotion, with Ipswich winning the league of course!"
Meanwhile, Cambridge United goalkeeper John Ruddy, a transfer target for Latics, is set to join Everton in the summer.
An undisclosed fee has been agreed between the clubs and the teenager will sign a pre-contract agreement ahead of his move to Goodison at the end of the season.
De Vos picked up his fifth booking of the season in Saturday's shock home defeat to Queens Park Rangers and the one-match ban will end his ever-present run in the Tractor Boys' team.
It's a huge blow for the Canadian international who spent a happy three years with Latics, skippering them to the Second Division title in 2002/03 and then to the brink of the play-offs last term.
He told the Evening Post: "I'm absolutely gutted to be out of the game because I was really looking forward to it.
"To get through 35 league games as a defender with just five yellow cards is quite an achievement, so to be suspended at this stage is so disappointing.
"What makes it worse is that the slate would have got wiped clean had I avoided being booked against QPR.
"All the people at Wigan will realise I'm not a dirty player and I felt the referee on Saturday got it wrong.
"Their striker tried to spin me, I got a foot on the ball but the lad went to ground.
"Unfortunately the referee saw that as a foul and as a bookable offence and I pay the price by not playing against Wigan.
"It's Murphy's Law really. I was booked twice in August and then went through to December before my next booking.
"I got another on New Year's Day and then held out until Saturday.
"When you go into a game, you're not thinking about yellow cards or possible suspensions, but as soon as I was booked at the weekend, I knew I would miss the Wigan game.
"I'll definitely come up to Wigan to support my team-mates, it's just a shame I won't be out on the pitch.
"I was really looking forward to it, not just because it's a game between two sides at the top of the table, but also because it's against my former club.
"I'll just have to use the situation as positively as I can, recharge my batteries and be ready for the rest of the season."
Latics and Ipswich go into Saturday's clash locked on 66 points with Sunderland currently sandwiched between them in the table.
The Black Cats play against Burnley on Friday night, and a win or draw at Turf Moor would take them top.
De Vos acknowledges it's a huge game in the race to reach the Premiership, but points out that nothing will be settled by one result.
He said: "There will be another 10 games to play after Saturday, so promotion isn't going to be won or lost at the JJB.
"It should be a great game, though, and everyone at Ipswich has a great deal of respect for Wigan and what they've achieved.
"I know first hand what a good club Wigan are, and all the lads are really excited about coming up and playing them. From my standpoint, the ideal scenario at the end of the season would be for both Ipswich and Wigan to get promotion, with Ipswich winning the league of course!"
Meanwhile, Cambridge United goalkeeper John Ruddy, a transfer target for Latics, is set to join Everton in the summer.
An undisclosed fee has been agreed between the clubs and the teenager will sign a pre-contract agreement ahead of his move to Goodison at the end of the season.