Preview: Watford vs. Sheffield Wednesday - prediction, team news, lineups

The new boss begins with the Owls rooted to the bottom of the Championship table on just three points from their opening 11 matches, while their hosts sit 20th having only picked up seven more points from their 11 games.

Match preview

Watford return from the second international break of the campaign in a relatively difficult position in the Championship, having failed to make a fast start to the 2023-24 season under the new management of Valerien Ismael.

Following an underwhelming 12th-placed finish last time around with their sights set on the playoffs under their new boss, the Hornets currently occupy 20th spot after 11 games in England's second tier, with just 10 points on the board.

A 2-0 victory at home to Birmingham City in mid-September did move the Hertfordshire outfit onto eight points from their opening six outings, but they have failed to add another notch to their wins column in the five attempts since prior to the recent break, firstly drawing 2-2 at home to West Bromwich Albion before the Hornets suffered three consecutive defeats at the hands of Leeds United, Middlesbrough and Sunderland, conceding eight goals along the way.

Aiming to end that dismal run of form, Ismael's men most recently travelled to take on Cardiff City earlier this month, and after going behind to Mark McGuinness's first-half goal, they would eventually draw level and leave South Wales with a point thanks to Vakoun Issouf Bayo's equaliser.

Now on the back of a rest for the international break, Watford will hope to make a return to winning ways on their return to action at the weekend and kickstart a quick climb up the division after their underwhelming start.

They meet a Sheffield Wednesday side who are also hoping to make the recent international break a turning point, as they travel south under new management with just three points on the board.

After winning promotion through the League One playoffs last time around, the Owls tasked Xisco Munoz with leading them into the second-tier campaign, but his tenure did not start in positive fashion, with the South Yorkshire outfit quickly rooted to the foot of the division, as they managed just two points from their opening seven games thanks to draws with Leeds United and Middlesbrough alongside five defeats.

Following that second draw in mid-September, the Owls then faced Swansea City and Sunderland away and at home respectively and suffered 3-0 defeats in both, before travelling to West Bromwich Albion and losing 1-0 following John Swift's first-half goal, spelling the end of Munoz's time in the hot seat after 10 league matches.

Neil Thompson would then take temporary charge in their final outing before the international break at home to Huddersfield Town and promotion-winning manager Darren Moore, and they were, at least, able to stop the three-game losing run and put a third point on the board as the contest ended in a goalless stalemate at Hillsborough.

Now heading into his first game as Owls boss following his appointment over the break, Rohl and the Owls will be desperate to score a first league win of the campaign at the 12th time of asking this weekend, as they look to avoid being cut adrift having already fallen three points behind 23rd-placed Rotherham United and seven points off safety.

Watford Championship form:

W

D

L

L

L

D

Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:

L

D

L

L

L

D

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Team News

Valerian Ismael is set to have a full Watford squad to pick from on Saturday, other than winger Ken Sema, who continues a spell on the sidelines due to an injury.

If he looks to make changes from their draw with Cardiff, there is competition all over the pitch, with Ryan Porteous vying to come back into the middle of a back four after Francisco Sierralta and Wesley Hoedt were preferred last time out, while Imran Louza and Ismael Kone will both fight for starts in midfield having been on the bench behind Edo Kayembe, Jake Livermore and Tom Dele-Bashiru.

Ismael has decisions to make in attack, too, with Mileta Rajovic bidding to come back in from the start and lead the line and winger Tom Ince also hoping to feature from the outset, while Vakoun Issouf Bayo is bound to keep his place in the front line after netting his third league goal of the season to earn them a point in South Wales.

We are yet to see how Danny Rohl will line up his new Sheffield Wednesday side, and he may have to wait for a late call on two key players, as attacker Josh Windass and captain and midfielder Barry Bannan were absent before the break and are nearing returns to full fitness, while midfielder Momo Diaby will certainly remain sidelined by injury.

While Marvin Johnson has returned to the fold after not featuring under Xisco Munoz, he will not be ready to feature from the start, meaning either Reece James or Akin Famewo will start on the left-hand side of the defence, while Di'Shon Bernard, Michael Ihiekwe, Bambo Diaby and Dominic Iorfa will all hope to start at centre-back.

Further forward, George Byers should play a key role in midfield, with Will Vaulks, John Buckley, Tyreeq Bakinson and Jeff Hendrick also vying to start in the expected continued absence of Bannan, while Windass will hope to return from the outset in attack after his layoff with Michael Smith likely to lead the line.

Watford possible starting lineup:

Bachmann; Ngakia, Porteous, Hoedt, Lewis; Kayembe, Livermore, Louza; Bayo, Rajovic, Martins

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:

Vasquez; Palmer, Iorfa, Bernard, Famewo; Buckley, Byers, Vaulks; Windass, Smith, Musaba

We say: Watford 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday could well be rejuvenated under new management and will be desperate for a first league win of the season, while their hosts are yet to get going this term, but following the break, we see Watford having enough to click into place and return with a victory at Vicarage Road given the superior quality in their squad.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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