Exeter City set 'challenge' ahead of Charlton Athletic as Wigan poached

Charlton Athletic supporters must wait another week and a half to see the Addicks back in League One action due to the international break.

A few months ago, a week without Charlton stress may have been a blessing but the side has been resurgent under Nathan Jones and are unbeaten since a trip to Reading on February 10.

Charlton Athletic feature alongside Wigan Athletic in your Tuesday League One round-up.

Exeter City set 'challenge' ahead of Charlton six-pointer

Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell has set his side a 'challenge' ahead of Good Friday's meeting with Charlton Athletic. The Grecians have picked up seven points from a possible nine in their last few outings and are an in-form side.

The hosts will be without key star Zak Jules for the visit of the Addicks next week with the defender sent off against Burton Albion but Caldwell wants his side to use recent form to overcome that setback. Exeter City are just two points ahead of Charlton in the league and a win for Nathan Jones' side would see the London outfit leapfrog City.

Speaking to Devon Live, Caldwell said: “I have just challenged the players. Last week I told them this was a seven-point week, and challenged them again that with seven games to go, we want to pick up as many points as we can and that will start again. Seven games to go, win as many points as we can, this can be successful, we don’t look further than that.”

“When you see the quality and fighting spirit we have, hopefully we can pick up a lot of points. There is no target, we just want to finish as high as we can. I hate the 50-point mark. We want to get points, are in a good position, we are not safe yet, but the mentality at the club needs to be more than 50 points. It needs to be a team that is competitive whoever we are playing."

Wigan manager admired by Championship club

Wigan manager Shaun Maloney is being poached by Watford as a potential permanent replacement for Valerian Ismael.

That's according to Football Insider, who report that the Hornets are admirers of the Scotsman and his work at the DW Stadium. Maloney was appointed at Wigan Athletic, his former club, in January 2023.

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The Latics sit 11th in League One despite an eight-point deduction at the start of the season and have won four of their last seven outings.

Tom Cleverley is currently caretaker manager at Vicarage Road with a new appointment expected in due course. Maloney also has previous with Scottish Premiership outfit Hibernian and will still have two years left on his Wigan contract come the end of the campaign.