Sheff Wedsvs.Preston

The hosts moved into the top half with an away win over Derby County at the weekend, while their visitors sit 18th in the midst of an eight-match winless streak.

Match preview

Sheffield Wednesday return to Hillsborough on Saturday aiming to make it three straight league victories, having recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time this term heading into the weekend.

Following a mixed start to their first full season under the management of Danny Rohl, albeit still a notable improvement on last campaign when they only escaped the bottom three late on, the South Yorkshire outfit went into the November international break at the bottom end of England's second tier with 18 points on the board from 15 games.

The Owls appear to have kicked on on their return to action, though, adding seven more points to their tally in three attempts since, firstly drawing 1-1 at home to Cardiff City before Josh Windass and Michael Smith fired them to a 2-0 triumph away at Hull City.

A trip to Derby County then followed most recently on Sunday, and Rohl's men made it consecutive wins on the road in dramatic fashion, as Barry Bannan drew them level at a goal apiece after the hour mark and Jamal Lowe netted the winning goal in the final minute of injury time.

Having now started to build some confidence with those away results and moved into the Championship's top half, now only trailing ninth place on goal difference and the playoff spots by five points, Sheffield Wednesday will be desperate to make it three victories on the bounce to continue their rise.

Their visitors, meanwhile, head to Hillsborough in a contrasting run as they aim to break an eight-match winless streak and extend their cushion over the relegation zone.

Preston North End have experienced a slow start to their 10th straight Championship season, currently 18th having picked up 18 points from their first 18 outings, with only the division's bottom two sides having recorded fewer than their three wins.

Paul Heckingbottom's side have, at least, suffered the fewest losses in the bottom half, with only six of those 18 games ending in defeat, but their wait for a fourth triumph of the campaign now dates back to mid-October.

That drought has produced six draws and just two losses for the Lilywhites, both of which came before the international break, having shared the points in each game since their return, firstly being held at home to Derby County and playing out a stalemate away at Stoke City before most recently hosting promotion-chasing West Bromwich Albion at the weekend and drawing 1-1 thanks to Emil Riis Jakobsen's second-half leveller.

While they have shown their resilience and ability to avoid defeats in recent months, Preston North End's lack of victories still leaves them just three points above the Championship's bottom three, and they will be keen to make it four games unbeaten and four wins for the season on Saturday to move into a more comfortable mid-table position.

Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:

L

W

L

D

W

W

Preston North End Championship form:

L

D

L

D

D

D

Team News

Sheffield Wednesday will remain without defender Akin Famewo and winger Olaf Kobacki due to injuries, but their concerns have eased in recent weeks with Michael Ihiekwe and Nathaniel Chalobah back in contention, while Di'Shon Bernard will return after serving a suspension against Derby County.

He should come straight back into a back three alongside Max Lowe and Yan Valery, while marvin Johnson and Pol Valentin will continue in wing-back roles.

Barry Bannan and Southampton loanee Shea Charles are bound to continue their midfield partnership, while Josh Windass and Jamal Lowe will both compete to return to the attack from the outset after Djeidi Gassama and Anthony Musaba flanked Michael Smith at the weekend.

Preston North End could be unchanged from last weekend's draw with West Bromwich Albion, aside from the return of Freddie Woodman between the sticks after he served a suspension last time out.

With Robbie Brady and key centre-back Liam Lindsay set to remain sidelined by injuries, Jordan Storey, Andrew Hughes, Jack Whatmough and Kaine Kesler-Hayden will continue in a back four.

Stefan Teitur Thordarson should again get the nod alongside Ben Whiteman and Ali McCann, while Josh Bowler and Sam Greenwood will hope to keep their places in attack alongside last week's scorer Emil Riis Jakobsen despite competition from Milutin Osmajic and Will Keane.

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:

Beadle; Valery, Bernard, Lowe; Valentin, Charles, Bannan, Johnson; Windass, Smith, Gassama

Preston North End possible starting lineup:

Woodman; Storey, Hughes, Whatmough, Kesler-Hayden; McCann, Whiteman, Thordarson; Greenwood, Riis, Bowler

We say: Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Preston North End

Written by

Sam Varley

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