Paper Talk: Testing Times

Last updated : 30 March 2004 By Paul Farrington
Both players visited specialists yesterday, Jackson over the achilles tendon injury he suffered at Watford on Saturday and Teale for an update on his broken collarbone.

With the Latics squad one of the smallest in Division One, manager Paul Jewell was holding his breath on the outcome.

Jackson already looks a doubt for the visit of bottom club Wimbledon to the JJB Stadium on Saturday.

It's not thought that he ruptured his achilles – an injury which can take months to cure – but a strain or twist could still sidelined him for a time.

Teale is getting close to a first team return after a five-week absence, but the winger suffered a possible setback in training yesterday morning.

So he was packed off to see the specialist with physio Alex Cribley to have his collarbone checked out.

Jewell said: "Tealely was doing some running in training, he turned, and felt a twinge in his neck.

"We're hoping it's nothing too bad, perhaps just a minor reaction to the work he has been doing.

"As for Jacko, he went for a scan yesterday morning and now we're waiting for the specialist to see the results.

"His injury seems to have eased since Saturday but we'll know a lot more once the results come through.

"I don't like ruling any player out of a game early in the week.

"It might not be good news, but we hope for Jacko's sake that it is."

While the fitness of two key members of the squad is a major concern, Jewell insists he i's not losing any sleep over Latics slipping out of the top six at the weekend.

They are only a point behind the three sides immediately above them, and have a game in hand over West Ham and Sheffield United.

Jewell said: "It's not the end of the world that we're out of the top six at this stage.

"We're only three points off third place so we have to keep things in perspective.

"The top two are probably up, so I'd say it is any four from eight for the play-offs.

"We are happy to be in there with a chance and we just need another big effort now in the last eight games.

"It's a good challenge and an enjoyable one, although I enjoyed it more last year when we were 12 points clear at the top.

"But you can't expect us to go through the season and steamroll teams week in, week out, which we managed to do last year.

"We won the Second Division at a canter but we are now playing in a league which is way above where we were.

"This season we have acquitted ourselves well and we're in with a fighting chance.

"It's tight up at the top and what we have to do is just concentrate on picking up points rather than thinking about what position we're in.

"Before the season, I would have settled for being in seventh position with less than a quarter of the season to go."

* Neil Roberts has been called up to the Wales squad for tomorrow's friendly against Hungary in Budapest.

The striker got the call yesterday evening and dashed to meet up with the squad at Cardiff Airport this morning.

Source: Wigan Evening Post.