Sheffield Wednesday will be determined to bounce back from their defeat against Charlton Athletic when they return to action in the Championship against Huddersfield Town.
David Wagner tasted defeat in his first match in charge of the Terriers, but he will be eyeing his chance to pick up his first points as manager of the club when they travel to Hillsborough on Saturday.
Sheffield Wednesday
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After a slow start to the campaign, the Owls have rounded into form over the past two months of the season, despite their defeat last time out to Charlton.
Carlos Carvalhal's men had gone nine matches unbeaten in the Championship before they were downed by the Addicks to leave them four points off the playoff places after 16 matches.
The Owls had won just one of their opening six matches before their unbeaten run, and Carvahal will be determined for his team to get back on track at Hillsborough and keep them with the pacesetters.
Wednesday's form in front of goal has been a big reason for their strong performances of late as they have scored 20 goals in their 16 matches this term. Italian forward Fernando Forestieri has notched five strikes since his move from Watford at the end of August.
Defensively, Carvalhal's men have not been as solid as last season, but have still managed to keep five clean sheets over the course of the campaign, three of which have come at Hillsborough.
The club have been impressive at home this season, losing just one of their eight matches which came against Middlesbrough in August.
Since then, they have only dropped four points which came in draws with Hull City and Brighton & Hove Albion, and also defeated Arsenal in the Capital One Cup.
Carvalhal will have set his sights on continuing his side's strong record at Hillsborough for the visit of the Terriers on Saturday.
Recent form: DDWWDL
Recent form (all competitions): DWWWDL
Huddersfield Town
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Huddersfield endured a poor start to the season, but the decision to sack Chris Powell came as a surprise with the club languishing just above the relegation zone in the Championship.
The Terriers had recorded a run of just one win seven games before the team's hierarchy opted to fire Powell and replace him with Wagner just 24 hours later at the John Smith's Stadium.
Powell had seen key player Jacob Butterfield leave the club and was also forced to deal with a limited budget, which resulted in the club's underwhelming start to the campaign, while Wagner saw in his first game in charge the enormity of the task at hand.
Huddersfield were hammered at home by struggling Leeds United to leave the hosts four points clear of the relegation zone and in dire need of a victory to stop their slide.
The Terriers have struggled at the back this season, conceding 23 goals in their 16 matches, keeping just two clean sheets this term. The German will have no problem identifying improving his side's backline as one of his first tasks at the club.
Emyr Huws's four goals has been a bright spot this season, while Nahki Wells has also notched three strikes over the course of the campaign, but both players know that they will need to fire on a regular basis to take their club away from danger.
Huddersfield have taken just six points from their eight matches on the road this term, with their solitary win coming against Charlton in September. Wagner's men will have to show improvement on their travels to take a positive result away from Hillsborough on Saturday.
Recent form: DWLLDL
Team News
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Marco Matias (hernia) and Barry Bannan (knee) are out of action for the home side due to injury, while Sam Hutchinson is suspended.
Keeper Keiren Westwood is fit to start for the Owls after shaking off an ankle problem, while Jack Hunt and Glenn Loovens are also available for selection.
However, the game has come too soon for defender Michael Turner's return, and Filipe Melo is also out of action after undergoing surgery on his knee.
Full-back Ben Chilwell could make his debut for the Terriers after signing on loan from Leicester City on Thursday.
Joel Lynch and Philip Billing are out of the contest due to injuries picked up in training, but Martin Paterson will be ready to return after missing the defeat to Leeds.
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Westwood; Hunt, Lees, Loovens, Pudil; Helan, Lee, Semedo, Wallace; Forestieri, Joao
Hudddersfield possible starting lineup:
Murphy; Cranie, Hudson, Wallace, Davidson; Dempsey, Whitehead, Huws; Wells, Bunn, Vaughan
Head To Head
Ishmael Miller rescued a point for the Terriers in their last trip to Hillsborough when he struck an 89th-minute equaliser to cancel out Sergiu Bus's late goal for the Owls.
Neither side were able to break the deadlock in the match at John Smith's Stadium last term. The home team in the contest has not claimed the three points since Huddersfield's 1-0 victory in the 2010-11 season, a run that lasts for eight games.
Over the course of history, Huddersfield have fared better in the fixture, winning 24 of the 52 meetings compared to Wednesday's 16 victories.
We say: Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 Huddersfield Town
The Owls will have been haunted by their defeat to Charlton as they passed up the chance to put themselves in the playoff mix, but expect them to get their push for promotion back on track with a victory over the struggling Terriers.
Simon Sinclair
