Both aiming to bounce back from consecutive defeats, Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland will do battle at Hillsborough on Friday.
The hosts have fallen six points behind the playoff spots in the Championship table following their back-to-back losses, while their visitors now trail the top two by eight points with 12 games remaining.
Match preview
© Imago
Sheffield Wednesday return to Hillsborough on Friday hoping to reignite their Championship playoff bid, having lost ground in recent weeks.
In what has been a much-improved first full season under the management of Danny Rohl, they sat within touching distance of the top six in early February, as a three-match unbeaten streak left them on 42 points from 30 outings.
The Owls have since failed to close that gap, though, instead adding just three more points to that tally in four further attempts, courtesy of a 1-0 away win over Swansea City after a narrow 2-1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion.
Rohl's men then hosted fellow playoff-chasers Coventry City and fell to a 2-1 loss, as Ellis Simms snatched all three points for the visitors in injury time, before they visited third-placed Burnley on Friday and left empty-handed following a 4-0 beating, with Marcus Edwards, Josh Brownhill, Connor Roberts and Manuel Benson all getting on the scoresheet for the hosts.
That pair of defeats have seen Sheffield Wednesday drop to 13th spot in the tight top half, and now trailing fifth-placed West Brom and sixth-placed Blackburn Rovers by six points with 12 games remaining, they will hope to regain ground with a home victory on Friday.
© Imago
Their visitors, meanwhile, will also hope to bounce back from consecutive losses on Friday and keep any faint hopes of winning automatic promotion alive.
Sunderland have enjoyed an impressive campaign following the summer appointment of Regis Le Bris, remaining in the top-two hunt throughout and moving onto 62 points from 32 games with an eight-game unbeaten run between the beginning of January and mid-February.
The Black Cats have since seen their hopes take a major hit, though, with that unbeaten streak firstly ended in agonising fashion away at leaders Leeds United, despite leading until the final 15 minutes through Wilson Isidor, as Pascal Struijk turned the game on its head for the hosts with a pair of late headers.
Hull City then visited the Stadium of Light on Saturday and condemned Le Bris's side to a sixth league defeat of the campaign as an early Anthony Patterson own goal made the only difference between the sides.
While remaining 11 points clear of fifth spot in the playoff places, Sunderland now find themselves six points behind third-placed Burnley and eight behind second-placed Sheffield United, meaning any automatic promotion hopes are reliant on results elsewhere and the Black Cats rebuilding a winning run starting on Friday.
Team News
© Imago
Sheffield Wednesday continue to contend with several injury issues, particularly in defence, as centre-backs Di'Shon Bernard, Dominic Iorfa and Akin Famewo remain sidelined alongside wingers Anthony Musaba and Olaf Kobacki.
Given those absences, Max Lowe will again deputise alongside Michael Ihiekwe at the heart of a back four, while Gabriel Otegbayo may take Marvin Johnson's place on the left-hand side.
Stuart Armstrong will continue to join key men Barry Bannan and Shea Charles in the midfield, while January loan arrival Ibrahim Cissoko will hope to earn a first start after Josh Windass and Djeidi Gassama flanked Michael Smith in attack last Friday.
Sunderland continue to deal with several selection issues of their own, as Tom Watson, Aji Alese, Jayden Danns and Niall Huggins remain out of action, while defender Dan Ballard and midfielder Enzo Le Fee have picked up fresh injuries and will begin spells on the sidelines.
In Ballard's absence, Chris Mepham will return from the start to join Luke O'Nien in the middle of the defence, while Jobe Bellingham and Dan Neil will continue their partnership in front of the back four.
Ahead of them, Eliezer Mayenda will likely come in with Le Fee and Watson ruled out, joining Chris Rigg and Patrick Roberts in support of lone striker Wilson Isidor, whose tally of 12 Championship goals this term is only topped by two players.
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Beadle; Valery, Ihiekwe, Lowe, Otegbayo; Bannan, Charles; Gassama, Armstrong, Cissoko; Smith
Sunderland possible starting lineup:
Patterson; Hume, Mepham, O'Nien, Cirkin; Bellingham, Neil; Roberts, Rigg, Mayenda; Isidor
We say: Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 Sunderland
Sunderland dished out a 4-0 beating to Sheffield Wednesday in the reverse fixture in August but are bound to face a tougher test on Friday.
Needing to get back to winning ways against a home side who have lost momentum of their own, we back Regis Le Bris's side to leave South Yorkshire with all three points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
