Wigan Athletic boss Paul Cook says the club are working on a ‘week by week’ basis amid confusion on the completion of the EFL season.

The EFL suspended all games originally until April 3^rd but that was pushed back by the FA with games set to return on the 30^th of April as it stands. The break comes in tandem with the current worldwide pandemic with the suspension being enforced to protect the health of staff, players and supporters of all 92 clubs in the top four divisions.

Wigan players have spent the last week away from the training ground with the squad working on personalised fitness programmed in the comfort of their own home. But with the country moving ever closer to a complete lock-down, Latics boss Cook is waiting on the latest advice from the government.

Speaking to Wigan Today, he said: “Obviously the guidelines from the government are very, very important for us all and we’re doing as much as we can to adhere to them.

“We’re taking it literally week by week at the minute. The players were off for the whole of last week, and we’re going to review that as we go along.”

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Cook will be looking for clarity as his side are yet to confirm their place in next season’s Championship line-up with relegation back into League One a real possibility for the Latics. They currently sit just two points clear of Charlton Athletic, the side who occupy the final spot in the bottom three and with nine games to go there are set to be many more twists and turns.

The Latics still face a number of relegation candidates before the season’s conclusion with Huddersfield Town, Stoke City, Barnsley, Hull City and Charlton all to play against the Latics when the football eventually resumes. This will give Wigan a boost as their destiny is in their own hands as they look to book their place in the Championship for next season.

The Verdict

It is very interesting to see how football clubs react when a situation like the current pandemic hits in the midway point of a season. Cook is very honest about how Wigan Athletic are operating and it will need to remain the same as the country looks to step up the efforts of dealing with the problem.

The approach that Wigan are taking is sensible with the pandemic very unpredictable at this moment in time with the football club unable to plan ahead for upcoming weeks and months.

There are still many questions to be asked in terms of contracts, loan expirations and what would happen should the season not be fully completed and therefore it is good to understand how our clubs are coping during the current crisis.