Derby County vs Wigan Athletic: Looking at the Rams’ opponents ahead of week one

Derby County vs Wigan Athletic will kick off the Rams’ 2023/24 campaign on Saturday at 3pm at Pride Park as Derby begin thier challenge to return to the Championship.

Wigan Athletic

Derby’s week one opponents Wigan are in a precarious position at the moment. They faced relegation from the Championship last season as they ended up bottom of the table. They are managed by former player Shaun Maloney in January and will begin his full rebuild of the club this season.

The Latics are in a tough financial position as they failed to pay players and staff on time on five occasions last season one of which in March resulted in a points deduction. This means they’ve struggled to add players, they added three free agents including full back Sean Clare who the Rams were linked with early in the summer.

They have relied on the loan market and signed four loan players to help combat the financial problems.

Expectations are low for the Latics this season. Bookmakers have Wigan as fourth most likley to face relegation this season which would be a devastating blow for them as they see themselves slipping down the leagues.

Derby County should be expecting a win on Saturday as they have a far stronger squad than Wigan and with the home advantage, should be able to create a really strong atmosphere.

That being said, the Latics’ away support is expected to be loud as they have sold well over 2,000 away tickets and are expected to all but fill the Pride Park away end, so we should see an electric crowd.

How to watch Derby County vs Wigan Athletic

The match won’t be broadcast in the UK due to the 3pm blackout rule, so if you’re in the UK and can’t make the game on Saturday, the best way to stay in touch is by listening to it by having a Rams TV audio subscription or for Wigan fans, Latics TV.

If you are abroad, then the game will be available either via a Rams TV video subscription or pay per view at £10.

Highlights will also be shown via ITV’s English Football League Show which airs on Saturday night at 11:15pm.

For Derby County’s predicted XI against Wigan on Saturday, click here. (add in link to predicted XI piece).