Wigan receive 'outstanding' Hugo Rodallega injury news

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez hopes to see striker Hugo Rodallega return from a knee injury sooner than expected having received "outstanding" news over his prognosis.

The Latics boss feared the worst when the Colombia striker was carried off on a stretcher late on in the 3-1 defeat to Everton at the weekend.

However, his medical team have reassured him there is no serious damage and Martinez is hopeful Rodallega's positive character will help him bounce back quickly.

"After the challenge we felt it was going to be a ruptured ligament so we are delighted," he said.

"The scan has come back very positive. There are no ruptured ligaments and the meniscus is fine, all the structures in the knee are fine.

"There is some bone bruising and the knee will take a little bit of time to get back to normal but it is outstanding news we are not going to be missing him anywhere near what we expected after the game.

"All the work Hugo has done on a daily basis allowed him to get away with what was a very strong challenge.

"It is impossible to predict how quickly he will return because we rely on his knee and how quickly he can settle and go back to work .

"But it will be nothing compared to the 12 to 15 weeks we expected.

"To lose someone for that time would have been damaging to this squad but I think we will see Hugo quicker than people expect.

"He is a really lively character, always a positive brain, and it has been great to have him around walking - even though he is on crutches.

"He brings a real spark to the training ground. It has never dampened his spirit and he has been a real joy to have around. Even with his injury he has brought a lot of positivity."

Rodallega's lay-off opens the door for someone else in Martinez's squad to seize their opportunity and the Spaniard is looking forward to someone doing that.

"The nature of the game is that you need to be calm on suspensions and injuries - the days of having 12 or 13 players are long ago," he added.

"I am very pleased with the manner in which this squad is working really hard and is ready.

"There are going to be a lot of minutes for other players and there is a real determination and desire to help the team over the next few weeks.

"The hungry feeling within the players is evident and they have been working to show they are desperate to play."