Kirland: Emile will bounce back

After being hailed as the nation's footballing saviour, Heskey has become the latest victim of the metatarsal curse that has dogged England down the years.

Kirkland's own stop-start career in goal has been peppered with setbacks and his senior breakthrough against Greece a year ago was followed by a thumb injury.

Kirkland said: 'He is big enough and has been around long enough to cope with the disappointment of missing out and he will be back turning in the performances for Wigan that got him recalled for England.

'Losing Hesk against Fulham, we realised what a big player he is for us. When he went off it was extremely difficult. It became one of those games where we just didn't get going.

'He's probably our main player. The way he played for England is the way he plays for us all the time so it was no surprise to anybody at Wigan how well he did.

'I wasn't surprised when he got the England call. He has played for some big teams and cost Liverpool £11million. That says it all — he's quality, people who play with him appreciate what he does for the team.

'People say he doesn't score enough goals but I'd swap that for what he does give us any day.'

With Heskey out for six weeks Wigan will struggle to score. Jason Koumas's cool penalty saved a point here but there will not always be a clumsy Hameur Bouazza tackle on offer.

Manager Chris Hutchings described their first half as inept and Lawrie Sanchez might have employed the same word to describe Fulham's failure to clinch the long-awaited away victory after Clint Dempsey's opener.

WIGAN (4-4-2): Kirkland 6; Melchiot 6, Granqvist 6, Bramble 5, Boyce 5; Cotterill 5 (Skoko 59mins, 7), Scharner 5, Brown 5, Koumas 7; Sibierski 6 (Aghahowa 75), Heskey (Bent 9, 6). Booked: Skoko.

FULHAM (4-4-2): Niemi 6; Baird 6, Hughes 6, Bocanegra 6, Konchesky 6; Davies 6 (Murphy 83), Smertin 6, Davis 7, Bouazza 6 (Seol 83); Kamara 7 (Healy 66, 5), Dempsey 6.

Man of the match: Diomansy Kamara.

Referee: Rob Styles.