Aiming to continue their recent improvement, Sheffield Wednesday will travel to take on Stoke City on Saturday in an important contest at the bottom end of the Championship table.
The visitors remain at the foot of the division but have collected four points from their last two outings, while their hosts are now just six points clear of the relegation zone on the back of three consecutive defeats.
Match preview
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Stoke City return to action on Saturday in an increasingly disappointing standing in the Championship on the back of a tough run since the November international break.
Thanks to a five-match unbeaten streak including, three straight victories in late October, Alex Neil's men went into the break with 21 points from 16 outings, having won six of those while suffering seven defeats, but they have been unable to build on that run or add a single point to the tally in their three attempts since.
Across those three games, the Potters have conceded nine goals while only scoring three, as they were firstly thrashed 3-0 at home by Blackburn Rovers on their return before suffering a 4-2 defeat away at strugglers Queens Park Rangers.
They would then travel to take on Plymouth Argyle last time out on Saturday, heading into the game with a two-point lead over their hosts and the aim of climbing back up the division with a return to winning ways, but they had to leave empty-handed in agonising fashion despite going ahead through Tyrese Campbell and sitting level until injury time, as Mustapha Bundu equalised late in the first half before Adam Randell netted the decisive goal in the 97th minute.
With pressure certainly growing around the club, Stoke City now find themselves 20th in England's second tier with just a one-point lead over 21st-placed Huddersfield Town and a six-point gap to the bottom three, and Neil and his side will be desperate to correct their form and begin a turnaround at the weekend when they host the division's basement side.
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That will be no easy task, though, as Sheffield Wednesday will travel to Staffordshire with a degree of confidence, having put up a pair of encouraging results last week in their bid to climb off the foot of the table.
Having endured a particularly difficult start to the campaign initially under the management of Xisco Munoz and then Danny Rohl since mid-October, following their promotion from League One last term, the South Yorkshire outfit went into the November international break cut adrift at the bottom of the Championship table with just six points from 16 second-tier matches.
They were unable to bounce back on their return to action, either, suffering a 2-1 defeat away at Birmingham City before hosting league leaders Leicester City in a tricky test last Wednesday, and the Owls defied the odds to take a valuable point from that contest, drawing level at a goal apiece in injury time through Jeff Hendrick after the visitors led through Abdul Fatawu from the 23rd minute.
On the back of that positive result, Rohl's men welcomed Blackburn Rovers to Hillsborough last weekend, and they successfully built with just a second league win of the campaign, dishing out a 3-1 beating as Bailey Cadamarteri had them ahead inside five minutes, before Marvin Johnson restored their lead in the 78th minute and Josh Windass put the game out of sight in injury time.
While they remain 10 points adrift of safety, with their fellow strugglers also enjoying improved results in recent weeks, Sheffield Wednesday can certainly take plenty of confidence from the last two games at Hillsborough after their early-season plight, and they will now aim to build on those displays with a first away win of the campaign on Saturday as they bid to move closer to the rest of the pack.
Team News
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Alex Neil will again be unable to call on Ben Wilmot and Sead Haksabanovic on Saturday, as the pair remain confined to the treatment room, although the Stoke City squad will still be boosted by several returns as Enda Stevens, Wouter Burger and Daniel Johnson are all ready to be called on after serving suspensions last time out.
Indeed, they are all expected to return to the starting XI at the weekend, with the former preferred on the left-hand side of a back four, while Burger will rejoin Ben Pearson in the engine room.
Ahead of them in a 4-2-3-1 shape, Johnson should operate in the middle of a supporting trio behind a lone forward, with Ryan Mmaee again set to lead the line despite competition from Dwight Gayle and Wesley, while Mehdi Leris will fight to come in on the wing after Tyrese Campbell and Bae Jun-ho were preferred against Plymouth.
While Danny Rohl would only wish to make minimal changes to his Sheffield Wednesday starting XI from their win over Blackburn Rovers last week, he will likely be without Dominic Iorfa, who sustained an injury during that game, meaning Liam Palmer will likely come in at right back, while Marvin Johnson could get the nod over Akin Famewo on the other side of the defence after his goal off the bench.
Elsewhere, the Owls could line up in a similar way, with Will Vaulks again set to anchor the midfield behind George Byers and Barry Bannan, despite competition from Jeff Hendrick, while Callum Paterson and Josh Windass could again get the nod either side of a lone striker.
With Michael Smith sidelined, 18-year-old Bailey Cadamarteri should again be handed the responsibility to lead the line, and he will aim to make it two goals in as many games after scoring for the Owls senior team for the first time last weekend.
Stoke City possible starting lineup:
Bonham; Hoever, McNally, Clark, Stevens; Pearson, Burger; Campbell, Johnson, Leris; Mmaee
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Dawson; Palmer, Diaby, Bernard, Johnson; Vaulks; Paterson, Bannan, Byers, Windass; Cadamarteri
We say: Stoke City 1-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Despite their poor start to the season, Sheffield Wednesday will certainly travel with renewed confidence following their recent results and have reason to be optimistic with Rohl at the helm.
We fancy the Owls to score a first away win of the season against a Stoke City side who are slipping down the table in the midst of a rut.
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