Preview: Preston North End vs Sheffield Wednesday - prediction, team news, lineups

Preston North End play host to Sheffield Wednesday on New Year's Day sitting outside of the top six in the Championship table for the first time in weeks.

Meanwhile, the visitors to Deepdale are already playing for pride as they sit 29 points adrift of safety, largely a consequence of EFL punishments and points deductions.

Match preview

Since the start of November, Preston have found a way to hang about in the top six of the Championship standings despite an inconsistent run of form.

However, heading into Monday's game at Wrexham, Paul Heckingbottom's team had recorded just two wins in nine games, and defeat to the Welsh outfit has left Preston outside of the playoff spots.

Still just six points adrift of second, all is not lost for Preston, but their only victories in 10 outings have come at Oxford United and Sheffield Wednesday, the teams sitting in the bottom two positions in the standings.

Six draws have been posted during that period, yet losing 2-1 at the Racecourse Ground needs to be the catalyst for Preston kick-starting their campaign in the New Year.

While they have lost just two of their 12 matches at Deepdale, Preston have prevailed in only five and are on a four-game winless streak at their home ground.

© Imago / Imago

Although facing a doomed Sheffield Wednesday outfit is coming at the right time, the Owls are performing admirably ahead of their inevitable relegation to League One.

Home draws have been earned against Hull City and Blackburn Rovers over the Christmas period, albeit results that leave Henrik Pedersen's team still searching for their first league win at Hillsborough in 2025-26.

Seven points have been collected from their 10 away fixtures, their solitary second-tier triumph of the campaign coming at Portsmouth in September.

The clean sheet kept against Blackburn on Monday was just the second that Sheffield Wednesday have recorded in 17 matches.

When these teams met in the reverse fixture on November 29, Sheffield Wednesday twice held a lead before losing by a 3-2 scoreline.

Preston North End Championship form:

Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:

Team News

© Imago

Heckingbottom is likely to tinker with his Preston XI, with Pol Valentin and Michael Smith both pushing for starts.

After Lewis Dobbin missed a second game in succession, he remains a fitness doubt with a minor muscle issue.

Ali McCann has seemingly come through unscathed since his return from injury and could feature in midfield.

Meanwhile, Sheffield Wednesday boss Pedersen could choose to keep changes to a minimum after earning a share of the spoils with Blackburn.

Svante Ingelsson may replace Jamal Lowe in the final third, while Liam Cooper could return after a medical issue kept him out of the game on Monday.

Given the length of the absentee list, the remainder of the starting lineup could stay the same.

Preston North End possible starting lineup:

Iversen; Storey, Lindsay, Offiah; Valentin, McCann, Whiteman, Small; Devine; Smith, Jebbison

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:

Charles; Iorfa, Otegbayo, Cooper; Palmer, McNeill, Thornton, Bannan, Amass; Ingelsson, Cadamarteri

We say: Preston North End 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday

This feels like an important fixture for Heckingbottom and his side given their lack of points across December. Nevertheless, a return to Deepdale can only help, and we are backing the home side to come through with maximum points and a clean sheet.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.