Looking to keep their head above water in the race for second-tier survival, Sheffield Wednesday will welcome Premier League-chasing West Bromwich Albion to Hillsborough on Saturday afternoon in the Championship.
The Owls broke out of the bottom three with a crucial win at Blackburn Rovers last weekend, whilst the Baggies suffered defeat at league leaders Leicester City.
Match preview
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For the first time in the calendar year, Sheffield Wednesday have escaped the shackles of the Championship relegation zone by securing a much-needed three points at Blackburn on Sunday, when good fortune and hard work combined for the visitors as they fight to remain in the second tier.
Josh Windass netted a long-range opener for the Owls before the division's leading marksman Sammie Szmodics equalised for the hosts, but it was the Yorkshire club who managed maximum points, with a Marvin Johnson strike and a comical own goal from Aynsley Pears taking the game away from Rovers.
Having lost just one of their last six matches - whilst also currently enjoying a four-match unbeaten run - Sheffield Wednesday are not showcasing the deficiencies of a team fighting for their lives at the bottom of the Championship, although Saturday's hosts are only one point above the bottom three.
The Owls have been massively improved since the arrival of German head coach Danny Rohl in October following the sacking of Xisco Munoz, with the forward-thinking 34-year-old masterminding his side's climb out of the relegation zone with just two matches left to play.
If the Championship was decided purely on home form, Sheffield Wednesday would be relatively comfortable at this stage of the campaign, with the Owls collecting 28 points from 22 league fixtures at their Yorkshire base during 2023-24.
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Heading towards a critical phase in the regular season, West Brom have now suffered back-to-back Championship defeats for the first time since early December following a promising - yet ultimately unsuccessful - display at the King Power versus Premier League-bound Leicester last weekend.
The Baggies were playing some irresistible stuff in the first period through the likes of Mikey Johnston but found themselves two goals down by the 65th minute due to strikes from Wilfred Ndidi and Jamie Vardy, and although Jed Wallace reduced the deficit, the visitors were unable to force a share of the spoils.
Similar to Sheffield Wednesday, West Brom have been a sedentary figure in the Championship table this season - spending the entirety of 2024 in fifth place - but the form of both Norwich City and Hull City threaten to rob Albion of a playoff spot which has been taken for granted by some sections over recent months.
Carlos Corberan's men are currently just three points above Liam Rosenior's Hull in seventh, and although the Baggies possess a better goal difference than Norwich and the Tigers, you feel that the Black Country outfit need one more big result to guarantee a top-six placement.
West Brom's away record will provide a considerable cause for optimism within Sheffield Wednesday circles in the build-up to Saturday's clash, with the visitors to Hillsborough winning just six of their 22 away matches in the Championship this season.
Team News
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Despite managing to score three times at Ewood Park, Sheffield Wednesday's attacking threat was greatly reduced by the absence of Leeds United loanee Ian Poveda, who is sidelined for the remainder of the campaign due to a hamstring injury.
The Owls will also be without the services of Mohamed Diaby for the visit of West Brom, with the Frenchman picking up a leg injury at the beginning of the month.
Michael Ihiekwe is a doubt after being forced off in the opening stages of the Blackburn victory, whilst his replacement Bambo Diaby is unlikely to feature either following a nasty-looking knock to his nose in the second half.
Back from his one-game suspension due to a red card picked up versus Sunderland, Brandon Thomas-Asante will be involved for West Brom and could start on Saturday.
Consequently, Jed Wallace could move into a wide position to accommodate for the former Salford City man, with Grady Diangana potentially dropping out of the side.
Corberan started Alex Mowatt, Okay Yokuslu and Yann M'Vila in an attempt to combat the attacking prowess of Leicester last time out, but Albion should revert to a two-man central midfield here, with the latter falling to the bench.
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Beadle; Palmer, Iorfa, Famewo; Valentin, Vaulks, Bannan, Johnson, Musaba; Ugbo, Windass
West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:
Palmer; Furlong, Kipre, Bartley, Townsend; Mowatt, Yokuslu; Diangana, Wallace, Johnston; Thomas-Asante
We say: Sheffield Wednesday 1-3 West Bromwich Albion
West Brom could have scored three or four against Leicester last time out, and if the Baggies perform to similar levels on Saturday, they should have enough quality to win the contest.
Sheffield Wednesday are not your ordinary Championship relegation battlers under Rohl, but we believe that their survival hopes will suffer a major blow in this one.
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Carter White
