Latics travel to Ewood Park in search of 3 points as they look to climb away from relegation whereas Blackburn enter the clash looking to bounce back from defeat at Plymouth.
Blackburn Rovers are currently 3rd in League One as Tony Mowbray side eye automatic promotion back to the Championship. Rovers suffered their first defeat in 19 league games as Plymouth condemned Rovers to a 2-0 loss. Rovers boss Tony Mowbray and striker Danny Graham have been nominated for the Sky Bet Manager and Player of the Month awards for January.
Oldham enter the clash looking to build on their 2-1 win over promotion chasing Bradford City, costing Stuart McCall his job. Latics are 21st in League One and a point away from safety. Wellens added Belgium striker Jonathan Benteke this week as he look’s to add more firepower to his frontline of Eoin Doyle, Craig Davies, Aaron Holloway and Duckens Nazon.
Rovers boss Tony Mowbray accepts his side weren’t at the races in their defeat at Plymouth Argyle, but wants to see a reaction from his team against Oldham. He told the club website “The run was going to end at some point and it’s about how we react. We have to take the defeat on the chin and move onto the next one.”
Wellens told the club website about he relief about picking up three points against Bradford and end Oldham’s winless run “There have been times in the unbeaten run where we have been a lot worse than that and there have been times where we have been a lot better than that.”
“It’s dead easy to criticise in football. I’m a young manager and I hadn’t won in nine games before today. Who is the best manager in the Premier League this year? Pep? I’d say Sean Dyche. He would be up there but he’s not won in 10, so it can happen.”
“The true moments of a manager is can you get through these crisis moments and come out the other side? Can I improve as a person and as a manager when I’m going through these bad periods?”
“I’ve gone through a bad spell but I want to keep positive. One thing that I have got, my players are fighting and giving everything to try and get a win week in, week out.”
“The biggest compliment to me is that my players fight for me every week and I thank them for that.”
Last Meeting – Oldham Athletic (Menig 90′) 1-0 Blackburn Rovers
