Man United youngster told he will 'play this month' despite missing November games

Manchester United loanee striker Joe Hugill has been promised by his Wigan Athletic manager Shaun Maloney that he will feature for the first team this month despite missing the last four games entirely.

Hugill joined the Latics at the beginning of the season and scored two goals in his opening six League One matches - the brace coming away at Bristol Rovers. However, his chances in the league have been limited since then and he has not made the matchday squad in the third tier since November began.

His only appearances last month came in the FA Cup and Vertu Trophy leading to suggestions that Hugill may be out of the plans entirely. The striker did make a name for himself on Tuesday afternoon as he scored a hat-trick in Wigan's U21 8-1 victory over Stockport County alongside fellow Premier League loanees Calvin Ramsay (Liverpool) and Michael Olakigbe (Brentford).

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After the youth team fixture, head coach Maloney insisted to Wigan Today that he still had the trio in his plans and that they are expected to feature this month as the fixture list becomes more demanding. "The mentality was very good from the three," he said.

"If they're not going to be in the first-team squad, then I need to make sure they're prepared for Leyton Orient (on Saturday), and beyond that Chesterfield (In the Vertu Trophy next Tuesday). The games are coming thick and fast, and I was very pleased with what I saw from those three in particular.

"It was a really difficult game to play in, the conditions at the training ground were very poor, and they were really good. I'm happy with that, because there's nothing I