Two teams at opposite ends of the League One table lock horns at the New Lawn on Sunday as basement club Forest Green Rovers play host to title-hopefuls Sheffield Wednesday.
While the hosts are still searching for their first win in 2023, the visitors are seeking to avoid going three successive league games without a victory.
Match preview
© Reuters
Duncan Ferguson is still searching for his first win as Forest Green manager after losing seven and drawing two of his nine games in charge, with no team in League One accumulating fewer points (two) or scoring fewer goals (five) than Rovers since his appointment at the end of January.
Forest Green have suffered defeat in each of their last three league matches against Accrington Stanley, Bristol Rovers and Plymouth Argyle, losing to the latter 2-0 away from home last weekend.
Hopes of avoiding an immediate demotion back to League Two continue to fade as they now sit 13 points adrift of safety with nine matches remaining, and considering their next five fixtures are against teams in the top nine of the table, fighting for either a playoff spot or the title, it is hard to envisage Ferguson's men pulling off a great escape.
Forest Green have fared better on home soil this season, with four of their five League One wins secured at the New Lawn, although they have picked up the joint-fewest home points in the division (13) along with MK Dons.
Their only previous meeting with Sheffield Wednesday is one to forget, as they were convincingly beaten 5-0 at Hillsborough back in August, conceding four goal in the first half, and Ferguson will be required to tighten up his backline if they are to have any chance of securing a positive result against their title-chasing opponents on Sunday.
© Reuters
Sheffield Wednesday's impressive 23-game unbeaten league run, dating back to October, was brought to an end on Tuesday night as they suffered a 4-2 defeat away against fellow promotion hopefuls Barnsley.
After conceding two goals in the opening 12 minutes, a brace from Lee Gregory restored parity for the Owls, but Barnsley eventually came out on top courtesy of late strikes from Max Watters and Liam Kitching.
Despite defeat and losing their place at the top of the table, Darren Moore's side are still on the cusp of promotion to the Championship and remain in contention to lift the League One title as they sit just two points behind new leaders Plymouth with two games in hand.
Sheffield Wednesday are now approaching a favourable-looking run of fixtures, with eight successive games against teams in the bottom half of the table, starting with their first-ever trip to basement club Forest Green.
The Owls head to the New Lawn having lost each of their last five league games played on a Sunday, but they will be confident of ending this run with a victory and climbing back to the summit, with Plymouth not in action this weekend.
Team News
© Reuters
Forest Green will be without Leeds United loanee Oliver Casey as he serves the third and final game of his three-match suspension, while injured quartet Baily Cargill, Charlie McCann, Tyler Onyango and Jahmari Clarke are all set to miss the rest of the season.
Ben Stevenson is set to remain sidelined with a knee problem, but Rovers have been boosted by the news that Manchester United loanee Charlie Savage is available for selection after turning down a call-up to the Wales Under-21s squad.
Myles Peart-Harris has scored just twice in 13 league games since the turn of the year, but he is expected to continue in attack and could be joined by Amadou Bakayoko.
As for Sheffield Wednesday, Josh Windass and George Byers both missed the defeat at Barnsley due to injury and remain doubtful for Sunday, while Reece James was fit to return to the matchday squad last time out and could be involved again against Forest Green.
Moore is expected to stick with a 3-5-2 formation, with centre-back trio Dominic Iorfa, Aden Flint and Akin Famewo protecting Cameron Dawson between the sticks.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru will push Dennis Adeniran for a start in centre-midfield alongside Barry Bannan and Will Vaulks, while Gregory – who has scored three goals in his last two games – is set to partner Michael Smith up front.
Forest Green Rovers possible starting lineup:
Thomas; Bernard, Godwin-Malife, Cooper, Robson; O'Keefe, Savage, McGeouch, Garrick; Peart-Harris; Bakayoko
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Dawson; Iorfa, Flint, Famewo; Palmer, Dele-Bashiru, Vaulks, Bannan, Johnson; Gregory, Smith
We say: Forest Green Rovers 0-3 Sheffield Wednesday
The odds are firmly against Forest Green claiming a positive result on Sunday, but Ferguson will take optimism from Sheffield Wednesday's minor blip in their last two league matches.
However, we expect the Owls to bounce back with a comfortable victory at the New Lawn and resume their push to win the third-tier title.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
