Team news

Home is where the heart is for Martinez Wigan boss Roberto Martinez believes home form could be the key to avoiding relegation as his side prepare to host Sunderland.

The Latics, who are outside the Barclays Premier League relegation zone only on goal difference, have won just twice at the DW Stadium this season.

Martinez is anxious for that record to improve to avoid being pulled into another last-ditch battle against the drop.

The Spaniard said: "Obviously our away performances and results have been good enough.

"We have been competitive and if you look at the last three performances, including the FA Cup, it is not easy to be consistent away from home and we have done that.

"That is something that now we need to take into the home form.

"There are only eight games left at the DW Stadium - a special environment for our players to enjoy playing their football.

"They are eight finals, eight incredibly important events for us to get as many points as we can.

"We do need to get the points the performances deserve. There is no margin for error and we are excited about it. We look forward to that." Martinez, who has orchestrated dramatic escapes from relegation in each of the last two seasons, accepts his side are in trouble once again.

He said: "I think people get carried away looking at the table - 'if you are in the bottom three you are in relegation danger and if you are above them you are okay'. Until you have 40 points you are fighting to avoid relegation.

"In our league there are two major groups - one of seven clubs who work financially in a different market from the other 13, and if you are in those 13, until you get 40 points you are fighting to avoid relegation.

"That is nothing new and you need to be able to perform and play good football under those circumstances." Sunderland have also endured a difficult campaign but back-to-back wins over Southampton and champions Manchester City at Christmas lifted spirits and they crushed West Ham 3-0 last week.

Martinez said: "I think the way they started their football under Martin O'Neill brought great expectations and that always makes it harder for a team to perform.

"But they are in their best moment of the season with three wins in their last five.

"That is an impressive return and I feel this Sunderland side is not the Sunderland side we saw performing earlier in the season, because the quality of the players and meaning of their performances make it hard to play against them." Martinez has issues in defence with Antolin Alcaraz (groin) training but not yet match-fit and Ivan Ramis (knee) ruled out for the season.

The new pair of midfielder Roger Espinoza and striker Angelo Henriquez are pushing for places but defender Adrian Lopez (hamstring) and midfielders Ben Watson (broken leg), Albert Crusat (knee) and Ryo Miyaichi (ankle) are still out.

Sunderland skipper Lee Cattermole has suffered a setback in his bid to return from injury and is expected to miss out against Wigan.

The Black Cats' midfielder, who was used as a substitute in the midweek FA Cup third-round replay defeat by Bolton following a lengthy spell on the sidelines with knee ligament damage, jarred the knee in a practice match on Thursday.

Manager O'Neill said: "He had a bit of a setback there. We are certainly hoping it's not as long as it was before, that would be terrible.

"But it is a setback and I would say he would be doubtful." But O'Neill will hope to have John O'Shea and Steven Fletcher back.

The Republic of Ireland defender was rested for the defeat by Bolton after complaining of tightness in his hamstring, while the Scotland striker missed out through illness, but both are expected to return.

Wigan vs Sunderland

Last modified 09:38 21/01/13

Fletcher brace sees off Latics Steven Fletcher's first-half double and some desperate second-half defending proved enough for Sunderland to claim a 3-2 victory at Wigan.

Martin O'Neill's men looked to be cruising home at the break after they had replied to David Vaughan's early own goal with a Craig Gardner penalty followed by Fletcher's impressive one-two.

But after on-loan Manchester United man Angelo Henriquez netted with a far-post header 11 minutes from time, Sunderland needed to show plenty of defensive resolve to retain their advantage, sending Wigan sliding back into the relegation zone.

The early signs were not good for Sunderland, who went behind after just four minutes thanks to Vaughan's comical own goal.

Ronnie Stam could barely have met Jean Beausejour's dangerous cross with any less conviction, drilling a weak shot straight into the ground.

Sunderland should have escaped but when James McCarthy flicked the ball into Vaughan, the hapless midfielder could only prod it past Simon Mignolet and over the line.

O'Neill's men soon shrugged off the disappointment, although it required a slice of good luck to help them on their way.

For had Stam not slipped under no pressure deep inside his own half, Emmerson Boyce would not have needed to foul Adam Johnson and therefore the free-kick which McCarthy blocked with his elbow as he jumped to defend Sebastian Larsson's shot.

Craig Gardner kept his cool to send Ali Al Habsi the wrong way and, within three minutes, the visitors were in front.

New boy Alfred N'Diaye was the architect, peeling out to the left flank before crossing deep to Fletcher, who quickly volleyed home from close range after Al Habsi had repelled his initial header.

Making his first Premier League start since his #4.5million arrival from Bursaspor, N'Diaye looked a useful addition to Black Cats ranks.

A big, imposing central midfield presence, N'Diaye brushed the highly-rated McCarthy aside to break up a promising Sunderland attack as if he were swatting a fly.

Whilst he failed to covert a close-range header not long after Sunderland had fallen behind, clearly O'Neill has obvious alternatives in the goalscoring department.

None of Fletcher's breakthroughs this season could have been any sweeter than his 10th.

Getting the slightest of touches to Gardner's deep free-kick, Fletcher was on hand when Johnson knocked it back to curl home a first-time shot in magnificent fashion as Al Habsi remained rooted to the spot.

It was his sixth in seven games against Wigan and was exactly what Sunderland's dominance deserved and triggered a chorus of boos for the hosts at the break, plus the introduction of Honduran new-boy Roger Espinoza.

Wigan returned in more positive mood and Shaun Maloney drew an excellent save out of Mignolet after racing onto James McArthur's flick.

Maloney drifted a shot just beyond the far post not long after the hour mark, by which time Wigan had protested vehemently for a penalty, believing Franco di Santo's shot had been blocked in a similar manner to the way McCarthy was punished for, when referee Anthony Taylor felt otherwise.

Fletcher came close to completing an unwanted hat-trick of sorts when he stuck out a leg and sent Jordi Gomez's free-kick spinning onto the top of his own crossbar.

With Maloney also hitting a post with a curling free-kick, the hosts could class themselves unlucky.

However, they were living very dangerously at the back and with a touch more composure, Stephane Sessegnon would have wrapped up victory.

As it was, the hosts still had hope when Henriquez was introduced and the on-loan Manchester United man quickly netted his first goal in English football as Maloney seized on some slack Sunderland defending and delivered a perfect far post cross.

Wigan piled forward in search of an equaliser, with Espinoza particularly impressive.