Preview: Sheffield Wednesday vs. Bolton Wanderers

Saturday's match between Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton Wanderers could well have an end-of-season feel to it, with just a slightly improved league position to play for at Hillsborough.

One place and two points separate the sides in the Championship table as things stand, and the Owls would leapfrog the Trotters into 14th place with a victory.

It is a position both sides will be happy with having come under the threat of relegation at different points in the season, but they will still want to finish the campaign strongly to raise optimism for next year.

Stuart Gray has done a remarkable job in dragging Wednesday to safety since taking over, but 17 goals conceded in their last six matches will concern him.

No fewer than 10 of those goals have come at Hillsborough, where Wednesday are now without a win in three having squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to struggling Charlton Athletic on Easter Monday.

Sam Hutchinson missed that match due to suspension, and he is once again absent this weekend along with long-term absentees Rafael Floro and Anthony Gardner. Glenn Loovens could be named in the squad for the first time in a month, however.

Bolton, meanwhile, achieved safety with a run of just one defeat in 13 matches over the last two months and even managed to push champions elect Leicester City close on Easter Monday.

Goals have dried up somewhat in the latter half of that run, with just eight coming in their last 10 games, but they have conceded just six in the same spell, with five clean sheets.

Mathematically, a top-half finish is still a possibility for Dougie Freedman's side, but they are likely to be content with their current position after a season of struggles.

The Trotters have been impressive away from home this season, picking up just one point fewer on the road than they have managed at the Reebok. Indeed, they are unbeaten in their last seven away games, a run that stretches back to the start of February.

Stuart Holden and Marc Tierney remain out for the visitors, while Mark Davies is an injury doubt and Chris Eagles will not be involved.

Recent form

Sheff Weds: LLDDWL

Bolton: DWWWDL

Possible starting lineups

Sheff Weds: Kirkland; Buxton, Llera, Onyewu, Helan; Maguire, Palmer, Lee, Coke, Antonio; Nuhiu

Bolton: Bogdan; Knight, Mills, Wheater, Ream; Spearing, Trotter; Jutkiewicz, Chung-Yong, Danns; Beckford

Sports Mole says: 1-1