Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United meet in an all-Yorkshire affair on Sunday aware that they may face fewer more important fixtures all season.
Both teams currently occupy places in the Championship relegation zone, the home side already 11 points adrift of safety with the visitors having recently reduced their deficit to five points.
Match preview
© Sheffield Wednesday FC
When someone with experience of working at Bayern Munich arrives at a Championship club, some will feel that they should have the qualities to make an immediate impact.
However, Danny Rohl has quickly realised the size of the task in front of him at Hillsborough, with the Owls losing 1-0 and 3-0 at Watford and Plymouth Argyle since the international break.
Positives may have been taken from only losing at the former to an 82nd-minute goal, yet the respective results have extended their run of matches without finding the back of the net to six games.
Furthermore, Wednesday have also scored just one strike in nine encounters, and Rohl will be aware that his side have no chance of moving closer to the safety line until that issue in the team is rectified.
On a small positive note, just eight goals have been conceded in their six home fixtures this campaign, with a clean sheet being kept versus Huddersfield Town on October 7.
There will be those who regard Rotherham as clear favourites to remain in the relegation zone all season, one of the yo-yo clubs of English football arguably one of the smallest two teams in this division.
Nevertheless, this is a club that has not lost more than twice in a row for almost a year, and four points have recently been collected from fixtures against Southampton and Coventry City.
An 18-day gap separated those matches but the extra freshness seemingly proved key as the Millers beat last season's playoff finalists by a 2-0 scoreline, with the second goal coming in the closing stages.
Matt Taylor's team are still five points adrift of safety, something which will not be lost on the Rotherham powers-that-be, but eight points have been collected from their last eight games, an indication that they are improving after a slow start to 2023-24.
Team News
© Reuters
Given the manner of Wednesday's defeat to Plymouth, Rohl is expected to tinker with his team, with Will Vaulks and Jeff Hendrick both pushing for a recall.
Michael Smith also appears likely to replace Lee Gregory in attack, while Reece James will feel that he has a part to play when his only league start of the season - against Huddersfield before the international break - coincided with a clean sheet.
Rohl has revealed that he expects Callum Paterson to return to the squad on Sunday after "an issue with his legs" ahead of the midweek game.
With a mounting injury list, changes will be few and far between for Rotherham, with Sebastian Revan potentially being played in a more advanced role down the left ahead of Arvin Appiah.
Although Georgie Kelly came off the substitutes' bench to set up Rotherham's decisive goal in midweek, he will likely remain among the replacements with Jordan Hugill retaining his place in attack.
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Dawson; James, Iorfa, Diaby, Famewo; Musaba, Vaulks, Bannan, Buckley; Windass, Smith
Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Lembikisa, Morrison, Peltier, Bramall; Rathbone, Tiehi, Cafu; Onyedinma, Hugill, Revan
We say: Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Rotherham United
There will be plenty of tension in the air as Rohl desperately tries to make an impact in front of the club's home supporters. While we expect Wednesday to make most of the running, Rotherham are playing with far greater confidence, leading us to predict a low-scoring draw for this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
