Wigan have confirmed Steve Bruce will take over as manager on Monday.
Bruce, 46, has been ruled out of taking charge of Wigan's team for Saturday's away game at Arsenal due to a lack of time to prepare.
But Bruce will be at the Emirates Stadium to watch the game as caretaker Frank Barlow supervises the team.
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan says Eric Black, Bruce's assistant at his former club Birmingham, will join him at the JJB Stadium in "two or three weeks".
Black has been in temporary charge at St Andrews since Bruce's departure and Blues chairman David Gold insists he "will do everything possible" to stop Black's proposed move.
But Whelan told BBC Radio 5 Live: "He has stayed with Birmingham because they want someone to run the team and he has promised to stay there for two to three weeks.
"Steve has agreed to that and he is a man of his word. Hopefully Eric will be joining Steve here in a fortnight to three weeks.
"We've agreed a contract with him but obviously we'll have to wait and help Birmingham as best we can."
Bruce's confirmation as Wigan boss comes after he and former club Birmingham reached a compromise over reported £225,000 image rights dispute.
As long ago as Monday, Whelan confirmed Bruce was to join the strugglers after opting to leave Birmingham.
Wigan's official confirmation ends Bruce's six-year spell at Birmingham, where he twice won promotion to the top flight.
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He returns to Wigan having had a brief spell as manager there in 2001.
Whelan is relieved the wait to install Bruce as manager is over, adding: "This last week has seemed like a month but it has all come to a head now.
"I've just signed a contract and Steve Bruce has just signed a contract so we are up and running."
"Everything was agreed last Wednesday but Birmingham had paid Steve some money in advance for his wages and they had forgotten about it and Steve had forgotten about it.
"We had all the contract agreed when Karren Brady remembered she had paid that money and quite rightly she wanted that money back and Steve had to pay.
"We had a letter saying they had accepted £3m to cover all areas as full and final compensation. The solicitors got involved and said you have signed that letter so the money did not have to be paid back.
"But I think Birmingham were quite right when they insisted it had to be paid back and Steve, through his solicitor, agreed that just this morning and the deal is done.
"Steve will be on the bench for half the game on Saturday and in the stand for the other half.
"Frank will be running the team tomorrow he has taken all the training this week. Steve will then travel back with the team and take full control on Monday morning."
Bruce is set to be handed a £15m transfer kitty as he fights to save Wigan from relegation.
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