Separated by seven points around the middle of the Championship table, Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke City will do battle at Hillsborough on Saturday.
The two sides drew in this fixture last term in the fight for survival, while the hosts currently sit ninth and their visitors have dropped to 17th spot this time around.
Match preview
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Sheffield Wednesday return to Hillsborough on Saturday in search of back-to-back Championship wins to narrow their gap to the playoff places.
After narrowly avoiding relegation late last season, the Owls have enjoyed notable improvement in their first full season under the management of Danny Rohl this term, currently sitting ninth having earned 29 points from their first 21 outings.
They have not excelled at home so far, though, having only earned 13 points from their 11 league outings at Hillsborough, winning just three of those including only one in their last seven home fixtures.
The Owls have still managed three wins on the road in their last five games, though, firstly beating Hull City and Derby County before bouncing back from a draw and a defeat last weekend when they visited Oxford United and prevailed in a 3-1 triumph thanks to goals from Josh Windass, Jamal Lowe and Djeidi Gassama.
Now only trailing the playoff spots by five points and sitting four above the bottom half, but with growing rumours linking Rohl away from Hillsborough, Sheffield Wednesday will be keen to further strengthen their position in the Championship's top half with a victory at the weekend to correct their home form.
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Their visitors, meanwhile, head to Hillsborough at the weekend aiming to end a tough run of form and stop their slide down the Championship table, having seen a winless streak grow in recent weeks.
Heading into their final game before Christmas, Stoke City find themselves 17th in the Championship having failed to add another notch to their wins column in the last seven attempts since enjoying back-to-back victories in early November.
Following three consecutive draws, the Potters went on to suffer three losses on the bounce between late November and mid-December, falling at home to Burnley and away at Sunderland and Luton Town heading into Saturday's meeting at home to Cardiff City.
Narcis Pelach's side led in that game through Andrew Moran but trailed going into injury time following an Anwar El Ghazi leveller and a Ben Gibson own goal, before they were, at least, able to salvage a share of the points as Gibson scored at the right end deep into injury time.
With positives to take from that late leveller but having seen their winless run extended in another disappointing result, Stoke City now only lead 19th spot on goal difference and trail the top half by four points, and they will be keen to bounce back to winning ways at Hillsborough to begin climbing back up the division.
Team News
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Danny Rohl should field an unchanged Sheffield Wednesday starting XI from last weekend's 3-1 away win over Oxford United on Saturday, with defender Akin Famewo and winger Olaf Kobacki remaining sidelined by injuries.
Michael Smith should continue to lead the attack with support from Josh Windass, Jamal Lowe and Djeidi Gassama, all of whom got on the scoresheet in last week's victory, despite competition from Ike Ugbo and Anthony Musaba.
Elsewhere, Southampton loanee Shea Charles will continue to play a key role alongside captain Barry Bannan in the engine room, while Max Lowe should again get the nod next to Di'Shon Bernard at the heart of the defence.
Stoke City will remain without defender Enda Stevens and midfielder Ben Pearson for Saturday's trip to Hillsborough due to ongoing injury issues.
Sam Gallagher returned to contention after a long injury layoff to feature off the bench last time out, but Tom Cannon will again get the nod to start up front having notched up nine goals in 19 appearances this season.
Million Manhoef, Bae Junho and Lewis Koumas will hope to continue behind the front man, while Andrew Moran will again play an important role in the midfield.
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Beadle; Valery, Bernard, M Lowe, Johnson; Charles, Bannan; Windass, J Lowe, Gassama; Smith
Stoke City possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Wilmot, Phillips, Gibson, Bocat; Moran, Seko; Manhoef, Junho, Koumas; Cannon
We say: Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Stoke City
While Sheffield Wednesday have struggled at Hillsborough this season, Rohl's men, with renewed confidence from an improved run and victory last time out, should have enough to get past a Stoke City side lacking momentum.
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Sam Varley
