Preview: Sheffield Wednesday vs Brentford - prediction, team news, lineups

Sheffield Wednesday and Brentford will do battle at Hillsborough on Saturday for a place in the FA Cup fourth round.

The hosts find themselves at the foot of the Championship table, while their visitors climbed into fifth spot in the Premier League in midweek.

Match preview

Sheffield Wednesday head into FA Cup action at the weekend in search of a first victory in all competitions since mid-September.

The 2025-26 season has been one to forget for the Owls, who entered administration in October 2025, triggering a 12-point deduction alongside a further six-point deduction for prior financial issues.

Those punishments, combined with a threadbare squad available to Henrik Pedersen, see the South Yorkshire outfit rooted to the foot of the Championship on -7 points, 32 adrift of safety, having won just one and lost 16 of their 25 outings in England's second tier.

The Owls now make their first FA Cup appearance of the term on the back of a pair of 3-0 defeats after the turn of the year, firstly falling away at Preston North End on New Year's Day before Rumarn Burrell scored alongside Rayyan Kolli in a Queens Park Rangers win last weekend.

Sheffield Wednesday will now bid to raise spirits and avenge a penalty shootout defeat to Brentford which ended last season's EFL Cup run in the fourth round.

Their visitors, meanwhile, head to South Yorkshire aiming to add to a pleasing first half to their campaign with an FA Cup fourth round spot at the weekend.

Following the summer departure of manager Thomas Frank and several key players, Brentford looked set for a tough Premier League campaign, but they have impressed under Keith Andrews thus far, earning 33 points from 21 top-flight games to sit fifth.

That is thanks to a fine run of form around the festive period, having won four and drawn one of their last five outings since an EFL Cup quarter-final exit at the hands of Manchester City.

Andrews's men most recently following up a 4-2 away win over Everton by beating Sunderland 3-0 on Wednesday, with Igor Thiago netting a brace alongside a Yehor Yarmolyuk goal.

The Bees will now bid to progress through the FA Cup third round for the first time in four seasons, having been denied by Plymouth Argyle at this stage last time around, while prevailing in a trip to Hillsborough on their way to the EFL Cup quarter-finals.

Sheffield Wednesday form (all competitions):

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Brentford form (all competitions):

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Team News

Sheffield Wednesday continue to deal with a long injury list, as Di'Shon Bernard, Ernie Weaver, Liam Cooper, Max Lowe, Nathaniel Chalobah, Olaf Kobacki and George Brown are sidelined.

Having come through a gruelling Championship schedule with a thin squad lacking fit senior players, Henrik Pedersen may rotate his side, affording rests for the likes of Barry Bannan and Bailey Cadamarteri.

Defender Dominic Iorfa is a fresh injury concern and will miss out, while key man Harry Amass has returned to parent club Manchester United.

Keith Andrews should also shuffle his Brentford pack after three successful Premier League outings in the new year, despite the absences of Frank Onyeka and Dango Ouattara to the Africa Cup of Nations and Fabio Carvalho, Josh Dasilva and Antoni Milambo to injuries.

Key attackers Igor Thiago and Kevin Schade may both be handed rests, likely leaving Keane Lewis-Potter and Reiss Nelson to spearhead the attack.

Mikkel Damsgaard and Jordan Henderson may come into the midfield from the outset, while Aaron Hickey, Ethan Pinnock and Sepp van den Berg may all be handed starts at the back.

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:

Charles; Palmer, Otegbayo, McGhee; Fusire, Shipston, Alao, Johnson; Redmond, McNeill, Moses

Brentford possible starting lineup:

Kelleher; Hickey, Pinnock, Van Den Berg, Henry; Jensen, Henderson; Nelson, Damsgaard, Peart-Harris; Lewis-Potter

We say: Sheffield Wednesday 0-3 Brentford

Brentford are bound to rotate after a busy and productive Premier League run, but they still have the depth to cruise past a Sheffield Wednesday side who are far from able to field a full team of senior players.