'Won't be long': Tony Mowbray fires a strong warning to Sunderland ahead of Wigan Athletic test

Wigan have fallen to 23rd in the Championship table, ten points behind Sunderland and with manager Kolo Toure still searching for his first win as boss.

Toure has begun to overhaul the club's playing style after taking over from Leam Richardson, and though they were beaten 4-1 by Middlesbrough on Boxing Day, Mowbray says that he believes their results will turn.

He has challenged his Sunderland side to avoid any hint of complacency and show what they are capable of at the DW Stadium.

"Kolo is obviously someone who played under [Arsene] Wenger for some time and you can see that he wants to play football, they want to build from the back," Mowbray said.

"It's the next test for us, we've had a few recently where there's been a managerial change and you can almost scrap the data from ten or twelve weeks ago.

"You just look at the last three or four weeks, forget what they did against us in the home game, look at what they're doing differently and try to prepare even when the games are coming very quickly.

"We've got a picture of how they play and what their threats are, and I'd have to say that having watched them get beat 4-1 at the Riverside on Monday, they were miles better than that scoreline suggests. They had 17 shots on goal, they pressed well, they were a threat and yet [Ryan] Giles puts some amazing crosses in the box and Akpom scores. But they looked a decent team to me, full of energy. They're better than what that suggested and it won't be long until they get that belief in what Kolo wants them to do - hopefully it's just after tomorrow night.

"The manager will be driving his team and if he’s got the players onboard they will be desperate to do well for him.

“We have to be ready for a team full of adrenaline, full of desire and be professional to work really hard and try to see their threats off and bring our own quality.

“I think the most dangerous thing is thinking we have done well against a team sitting third in the league and now we are playing a team who have had some difficulties in recent weeks.

“The danger is falling into that trap of not bringing your ‘A-game’ and that’s what we’ll guard against and be ready for a tough test.”

Mowbray is monitoring a number of injury concerns in defensive areas ahead of the game, with Lynden Gooch, Danny Batth and Dennis Cirkin all major doubts. Niall Huggins and Aji Alese have already been ruled out, meaning options at full back are particularly limited.

Going forward the picture is much stronger, with Alex Pritchard in contention to return to the matchday squad having missed the last two games with a calf problem.