Skipper Ryan Shawcross is among a cluster of players being considered for a Stoke City recall at Wigan tomorrow night.

Boss Michael O'Neill has already warned his players there must be changes after Saturday's home defeat to Middlesbrough.

And they will come on top of the one enforced change after Nick Powell was red carded against Boro to earn a one-match ban.

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Shawcross played his first game in 2020 in the first post-lockdown game at Reading, but tweaked his groin late in the first half and hasn't been seen since.

But O'Neill has seen him return to training and kept a particularly close eye on his captain.

“Ryan’s trained yesterday and today," O'Neill reported, "so all being well there will be no reaction and hopefully he will be available for selection.

"There’s no additional injuries and Jordan Cousins will be better for the period he had on the pitch (against Middlesbrough)."

Wigan - three places and four points clear of Stoke - have lost just one in 11 and taken 24 points from a possible 33.

"I know how Paul (Cook) likes his teams to play," said O'Neill. "They will be very hard working, they will press the ball a lot and they have a big man up front and so they can go long at times.

"But they can also play in the opposition half and have good movement.

"They are on a good run with six clean sheets which is testament to how they are defensively.

"They will come into the game knowing they are a victory or two away from securing their own position in the Championship, so there’s a lot at stake for both teams.

"Given their form, this game will be as hard as playing a team much higher up in the league."