Sunderland boss issues reality check ahead of League One playoff semi-final

The Owls are looking to earn promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt, while this is the Black Cat's fourth season in England's third tier.

Sunderland have fallen in the play-offs in two of their last three campaigns but still fill out their 49,000-capacity Stadium of Light.

The winner of this clash sets up a Wembley showdown with either Wycombe or MK Dons in the play-off final.

Sunderland v Sheffield Wednesday: talkSPORT commentary

This League One clash will take place on Friday, May 6 with kick-off scheduled for 7:45pm.

talkSPORT will have exclusive coverage of this playoff semi-final first-leg at the Stadium of Light with Adrian Durham as your presenter.

Commentary will then come from Jim Proudfoot and former Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday defender Micky Gray.

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2, click HERE for the live stream.

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Sunderland v Sheffield Wednesday: Team news

The hosts welcomed back Aiden McGeady to the squad against Morecambe last time out and he may now be fit to start.

However, Everton loanee Nathan Broadhead picked up an issue during that 1-0 win and will need to be assessed.

Carl Winchester will be unavailable for selection but there's a chance Leon Dajaku is back following a recent illness.

Wednesday, meanwhile, continue to be without Dominic Iorfa and Ciaran Brennan with no fresh injuries to contend with.

Sunderland v Sheffield Wednesday: What has been said?

Sunderland boss Neil gave fans a reality check following suggestions that the club are too big to be languishing in the third tier.

"Well, it is a League One club. This is the bit that irritates me." Neil replied, via The Northern Echo.

"People keep telling me we are not a League One club. Yeah? You are in League One.

"If you want to talk about the infrastructure, the fans base the stadium, are they League One standard? No.

"But the simple fact is that at the moment the club is a League One club."

"Unless you get a reality of where you are, you don't know how you can get where you want to go."