Talisman was given the green light to return to play for Wigan Athletic afterFF
Thelo Aasgaard has returned from injury to give Wigan Athletic a huge boost as they visit Cambridge United on Saturday.
The Norway U21 international has been out of action for exactly a month since dislocating his shoulder in a 1-1 draw against Carlisle.
And his return comes at the perfect time for Latics boss Shaun Maloney, who is looking for a response after back-to-back defeats to Barnsley and Blackpool before the international break.
Talisman Thelo Aasgaard will return for Latics against Cambridge this weekend, while new Liam Shaw could also make his first appearance.
“We have some really important players in that offensive zone,” he said.
But Thelo also gives us something else, and that’s a big concern given his shoulder injury.
“He has been working really hard on his recovery and in fact he almost played for Blackpool just before the international break.
“It’s difficult, I just don’t think it’s right to risk that much money.
He trained fully the day before Blackpool, so it’s been two weeks of hard work.
“And he’s certainly ready to go, and he’ll see at least some of the games this weekend.
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The Scot showed faith in Aasgaard over the summer, securing his future with a long-term contract before handing him the Latics number 10 shirt that Maloney wore as a player.
It’s not like he only sees his value in one position, with the Academy product capable of fulfilling a number of attacking tasks.
The beauty of Thelo is that he can play as a number 10, he can play out wide, and he also showed against Derby that he can play as a central midfielder, as a midfielder.
number 6,” said Maloney.
“It just depends on the balance of the team, but I liked what he did against Carlisle, on the left, with (Tom) Pearce and (Callum) Lang inside.
“Thelo can really play anywhere, my job is to give him the ball in certain areas.
We know he will always create chances and score goals because he is a very special talent.
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Maloney said there are no injury concerns, with on-loan Celtic midfielder Liam Shaw now fully integrated and fighting for a place.
Liam is in great form at the moment and he is really trying his best to turn 18,” added Maloney.
“In the time it takes for him to be fully fit and feel really confident, and for me to feel confident against him, which I do now, I think Matt (Smith) and Baba (Adeeko) has really succeeded.
Especially Baba, I think he really grabbed his opportunity with both hands, and I would say Scott Smith was in a similar situation as well.
I’m very happy with him, he’s been fighting Matt and Baba since the beginning, and it’s a very healthy competition.
Thelo can play there, James, and we have situations where players have to play at a certain level, because they know there’s someone behind them who can easily come in and play well.
“It has to be that way: If it’s too comfortable, it won’t meet our needs, this season or any season.
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