FA Cup preview: West Brom v Wigan

Fans would count down the days to these games and tensions would run high because of the added pressure.

This season though, it is not the priority. And with fellow promotion candidates Norwich City coming to The Hawthorns seven days later in the league, Albion will no doubt have one eye on that fixture.

But that doesn’t mean this game should be willingly tossed away.

When the Baggies won the Championship title under Tony Mowbray, they also reached the semi-final of the FA Cup.

Winning breeds a winning mentality and Darren Moore deserves a huge amount of credit for instilling one in this club over the past eight months.

Losing is also contagious. And the best way to respond to the New Year’s Day defeat at Ewood Park is with a confidence-building home win.

“For me it’s about bouncing back,” said Moore. “We’ve got a really important Cup match on Saturday, a break away from the league for the FA Cup which is a great competition.

“We know how steeped in tradition the FA Cup is. And we’ll look forward to the game.”

Moore, himself, is steeped in the tradition of this club, and knows the historical importance of this competition to the Baggies, one they have won five times.

But this will be Albion’s fifth game in 15 days and there will be some players who won’t be risked. Dwight Gayle and Ahmed Hegazi won’t be rushed back from injury, and any players feeling fatigued from the past four games will miss out.

“Because of the demands and schedule for this Christmas period, we’ll look at the squad,” said Moore.

“We’ll make decisions accordingly. It’s a very important game to us and we’ll be preparing in detail to try and get a result and respond to defeat.”

It will naturally give some fringe players a chance to stake a claim. New loanee Mason Holgate will make his debut at the back, and whether he plays on the right or in the middle will give an indication of where Moore sees him featuring in his team.

Jack Fitzwater could make his senior debut at centre-back after being recalled from his loan at Walsall in order to give Craig Dawson a rest.

In midfield, veteran midfielder Gareth Barry can expect a rest after an arduous Christmas campaign and Jake Livermore will serve the first game of his four-match suspension. Up front, Bakary Sako is likely to start.

Just because the FA Cup is not a priority this season, it still needs to be taken seriously.

Football is about two things – entertainment and glory – and this competition provides a rare shot at the second one.

The opposition - Wigan Athletic

It’s less than two weeks since Wigan Athletic last came to The Hawthorns – and they didn’t put up much of a fight then.

The Latics became only the third team to fail to score against Albion in the league this season when they fell to a 2-0 defeat on Boxing Day thanks to a Jay Rodriguez brace.

Ten days later, Paul Cook’s men are still in the same slump after taking two points from a possible 21.

Wigan have now lost nine of their last 13 games and their bright start to the season seems a distant memory.

“Everything that can go wrong for us at the minute is,” said Cook.“We are just in a little bit of a place that isn’t a good place for us – we have to hold our hands up and say that.

“We are in games but, within a blink of an eye, games have gone away from us.

“I will never criticise my players because sometimes they need help. It is going to be tough for us, we have to knuckle down, come together and find a way.”

But the FA Cup is a competition they have recent pedigree in.

Wigan lifted the trophy in 2013, beating Manchester City in the final against all the odds.

Former Albion man Callum McManaman was man of the match at Wembley that day and the winger is now back at the Latics after an unsuccessful spell at the Baggies.

And tomorrow’s game will be a special one for Albion assistant head coach Graeme Jones, who was Roberto Martinez’s No.2 when Wigan lifted the trophy.

Jones is adored in Wigan, where he was also a prolific striker, and there’s a photo of him in the players’ tunnel at the DW Stadium.

“I love Wigan,” he admitted earlier this year.

“Wigan’s my club, that’ll never change. As much I love Wigan, I’m employed by West Brom.”

Wigan also have pedigree in this competition under Cook.

Last season they beat three Premier League teams en route to the quarter-finals, including Manchester City again.

A League One outfit at the time, they kept clean sheets against Bournemouth, West Ham and the might of City.

But that feel like a long time ago now.

Wigan have conceded two or more goals in each of their last four outings and only scored in one of their last six. They have been dragged to within four points of the bottom three and, just like Albion, will have their eye on the league campaign.

Winger Gavin Massey will miss the game after suffering a recurrence of the hamstring injury that had previously ruled him out for four months.

Cook subsequently recalled Scottish winger Jamie Walker from his loan spell at Peterborough United and he could feature tomorrow.

Dangerman: As ever with the FA Cup, take your pick as to who might start, but former Walsall striker Grigg loves this competition. He proved it last year too with Wigan’s winner against Pep Guardiola’s record-breaking Manchester City in the fifth round. The Latics would eventually fall to Southampton in the quarter-finals.

The Boss: We’ve got a really important Cup match on Saturday, a break away from the league for the FA Cup which is a great competition. We’ll look forward to the game.

Memory Lane: A brace from Marc-Antoine Fortune helped Albion to a 3-1 Premier League win in May 2009. Chris Brunt was also on the scoresheet.

The Key Man: Most eyes will be keenly trained on Mason Holgate, as the Everton loanee makes his debut for the club, and whether he can plug Albion’s right-back gap.