Preview: Leyton Orient vs Sheffield Wednesday - prediction, team news, lineups

Sheffield Wednesday will begin life back in League One on Saturday, when they head to the BetWright Stadium to take on Leyton Orient in the first round of league games.

Both teams began their competitive seasons in the EFL Cup first round last weekend and progressed with wins.

Match preview

Leyton Orient will kick off their fourth consecutive League One season on Saturday and their fourth full term under Richie Wellens.

He led them to promotion in 2022, and the O's' highlight in England's third tier came in 2024-25 when they reached the playoff final and were only denied promotion in a defeat to Charlton Athletic.

Wellens's men failed to follow that campaign up last time around, instead fighting around the wrong end of the table for large parts on 2025-26 and eventually finishing 20th, just one place and three points above the relegation zone, having lost 22 of their 46 matches while conceding 71 goals.

Aiming for a major improvement on that term and a return to the right end of the table, they set their sights on the new term and underwent a busy pre-season schedule, playing eight friendlies and winning five, before beginning in the EFL Cup last weekend and progressing with a 2-0 home victory over Oxford United thanks to goals from Demetri Mitchell and Idris El Mizouni in the last five minutes.

The O's will now bid to make it two wins from two competitive games and get up and running in the league with a three-point haul at home on Saturday.

Their visitors, meanwhile, play their first League One game on Saturday after last season's relegation with the chance for a fresh start.

The 2025-26 season was certainly one to forget for Sheffield Wednesday, who were relegated from the Championship in bottom spot, ending on 0 points having been deducted 18 due to ongoing financial issues and administration.

It would end with relative optimism, though, as Henrik Pedersen's side bowed out with a first home win on the final day, on an occasion in which their new ownership and exit from administration was confirmed, alongside the wiping of any further potential points deductions for 2026-27.

Having then undergone a summer of improving their thin and young squad, the Owls won one and lost two of five friendlies before hosting Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Cup first round last Saturday and progressing with a 1-0 victory as Jamal Lowe scored the only goal 20 minutes from time.

Now with the chance of a clean slate and a fresh start, with a much-improved squad and hopes of fighting for a quick return to the Championship, Sheffield Wednesday will go in search of an opening-day victory on the road.

Leyton Orient form (all competitions):

L W L W W W

Sheffield Wednesday form (all competitions):

L D W D L W

Team News

Leyton Orient should field a similar starting XI from last week's cup win, with Rarmani Edmonds-Green and Jordan Graham remaining sidelined by injuries.

Their squad has undergone plenty of changes over the summer, with star forward Dom Ballard the most notable departure after hitting a league-high 23 goals last time around, while Azeem Abdulai, Tom James, Dan Happe and Jack Simpson also leaving.

The O's have strengthened too, though, with Alfie Gilchrist, Joseph Olowu, Somto Boniface, Isaac Hayden, Armando Dobra, Tony Springett and Jaze Kabia among those to join, with Kabia likely to fill Ballard's boots after netting 19 goals in League Two for Grimsby Town last time around.

Sheffield Wednesday have also made an abundance of much-needed squad improvements after a tough campaign last time around, with Nathaniel Chalobah, Marvelous Nakamba, Pierce Charles, Olaf Kobacki and Svante Ingelsson all departing an already thin group.

Pedersen has strengthened all over the pitch, with three goalkeepers arriving alongside defeners Ricardo Santos and Sil Swinkels, midfielders Callum Slattery, Jordi Liongola, Billy Mitchell and returning talisman Barry Bannan and attackers Harry Gray, Louie Barry and Mason Burstow.

Burstow and Gray led the line last weekend in the cup, but Jamal Lowe may come in from the start after his goal off the bench while Barry should also come into the attacking unit from the outset.

Leyton Orient possible starting lineup:

Baxter; Gilchrist, Olowu, Chinedu, Boniface; Hayden, El Mizouni; Mitchell, Dobra, Springett; Kabia

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:

Lumley; Valery, Santos, Swinkels, M Lowe; Bannan, Slattery; Liongola, Barry; J Lowe, Burstow

We say: Leyton Orient 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday

Both teams may take time to gel early in the season after widescale summer changes, despite both opening with cup wins last time out, and we anticipate an intriguing encounter on the opening day.

Ultimately we struggle to pick a winner and anticipate a share of the spoils with the visitors perhaps having the edge in quality but needing to adjust to their new surroundings and status as one of League One's teams to beat.

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