Preview: West Bromwich Albion vs. Sheffield Wednesday - prediction, team news, lineups

The two sides could not possibly enter the fixture in more polar opposing spirits, with Wednesday in disarray on and off the pitch, and West Brom in dreamland after an astonishing weekend performance.

Match preview

West Brom will hope they can build on a remarkable scoreline which is undoubtedly one of the results of the season so far in the Championship.

Travelling to high-flying Preston North End appeared a daunting task at the weekend, but Carlos Corberan's side went to Deepdale and thrashed them by four goals to nil.

That win extended an unbeaten run which now stretches back four games, but this was their first win in that streak.

Albion will be happy to find themselves up in eighth despite a somewhat inconsistent start, entering the midweek matchday just three points shy of the playoffs.

In what is now their third successive season in the Championship, West Brom will hope it is their last, after two very poor attempts at promotion.

New manager Corberan was a playoff finalist as recently as 2022 though, going down in the final with Huddersfield Town, but a repeat of that league position would be much welcome at the Hawthorns.

They also enter this fixture knowing they have had Sheffield Wednesday's number in recent times, having not lost to the Owls since 2007.

That run has seen them go unbeaten in nine meetings, with the previous two both ending in victory.

West Brom's chances have also been greatly improved by the soap opera currently occurring at Wednesday.

The club's owner Dejphon Chansiri came out publicly in opposition to the fans, claiming they have treated him unfairly.

In Chansiri's statement, he revealed he will no longer inject any more money into the club, saying the supporters who have been critical of him should take charge if they "know better".

After an incredibly dramatic playoff final victory last season, the spirits of the fans could not be any different now than they were at Wembley just a few months ago.

The owner's outburst came on Friday morning, just hours before Wednesday would welcome Sunderland to Hillsborough, and within half an hour the Owls were 3-0 down.

Limping to another defeat means Xisco's side have taken just two points from their opening nine games and remain rooted to the foot of the table.

With the league's worst goal difference too, the six-point gap separating the Owls from safety currently looks a large one, and a huge turnaround is required for Xisco to save his job.

West Bromwich Albion Championship form:

W

L

D

D

D

W

Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:

L

D

L

D

L

L

Sheffield Wednesday form (all competitions):

L

D

L

D

L

L

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Team News

West Brom are set to be without Josh Maja once again, as the striker has missed the Baggies' last three outings with an ankle problem.

Adam Reach's frustrating 2023 has seen injury keep him out for much of it, and a muscle injury rules him out of this clash.

An Achilles injury will also keep US international Daryl Dike on the sidelines for a little while longer too, as the 23-year-old has not featured since April.

Sheffield Wednesday's only injury concerns regard Mohamed Diaby and Mallik Wilks, but both are set to return to the squad in the next couple of weeks.

After another bruising defeat, Xisco could make a couple of changes, even though he was reluctant to change things despite being 3-0 down early on in Friday's fixture.

That could also prove useful due to the short turnaround between matches this week, with a home encounter against fellow Yorkshire side Huddersfield at the weekend.

West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:

Palmer; Furlong, Kipre, Bartley, Pieters, Mowatt; Phillips, Yokuslu; Diangana, Wallace, Swift

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:

Vazquez; Bernard, B Diaby, Famewo; Pol Valentin, Hendrick, Byers, Paterson; Musaba, Gregory, Buckley

We say: West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday

After proving their worth in a phenomenal 4-0 win at the weekend over promotion-chasers Preston, West Brom should have too much on paper for the visitors here.

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