Emile Heskey has gone under the knife today to have a screw inserted into his his foot after suffering a stress fracture of his fifth metatarsal against Fulham at the weekend. Having got his International career back on the rails, Heskey now faces around 6-weeks or more on the sidelines. Wigan are being cagey on a possible return date, stressing the need for a full rehabilitation period. With that in mind, the game against Spurs on November 10 would seem a realistic target for a return, ruling Heskey out of McClaren’s plans in October.

Heskey’s absence seems certain to mean that Marcus Bent will get a prolonged run in the side, whilst also cementing Sibierski’s place in the front line. Sibierski is of course classified as a midfielder in the majority of fantasy games whilst Bent should be available at a budget price. It’s likely however, that Wigan will need to rethink their gameplan somewhat without Heskey’s physical presence so caution is required. Plus, Wigan visit Reading next, followed by games against Liverpool and United so if you’ve yet to invest in Sibierski, it seems likely that he’ll need to produce next week to justify the purchase.