Preview: Sheffield Wednesday vs Leicester City - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to boost their Championship survival hopes in the second game of the Easter Weekend, Leicester City will head to Hillsborough on Monday to take on Sheffield Wednesday.

The hosts remain confined to the foot of the Championship table on -6 points with six league games remaining before dropping to League One, while a draw on Friday leaves the visitors 22nd and one point adrift of safety.

Match preview

Sheffield Wednesday head back to Hillsborough on Monday in their countdown towards the end of a difficult league campaign.

Facing ownership and financial concerns from the start of the term, the Owls entered administration in October, triggering deductions totalling 18 points, and they have been unable to overcome that, now sitting on -6 having seen their relegation confirmed by rivals Sheffield United in February.

Henrik Pedersen's side have failed to pick up a three-point haul since recording their only league victory of the season in September, coming closest in mid-March when they were denied in agonising fashion by a 90th-minute leveller at home to Watford in an eventual draw that did, at least, end a 13-game losing streak.

They failed to build on that result, though, going on to lose to Ipswich Town and Hull City before visiting Stoke City on Friday and falling to a 2-0 defeat as Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and Lamine Cisse scored for the hosts.

Now with six games remaining and optimism starting to grow around new ownership and an exit of administration before their fresh start in League One next term, they will hope to lift spirits with a home victory on Monday.

Their visitors, meanwhile, make the trip to South Yorkshire aiming to climb out of the bottom three take a big step towards securing their Championship status for next season in what has been a difficult term.

Having set out to make an immediate return to the Premier League after last year's relegation, Leicester City have experienced an underwhelming campaign, currently sitting 22nd on 40 points from 40 outings having won 11 and lost 16 of those while being served a six-point deduction.

Marti Cifuentes was dismissed in late January, leaving the Foxes on 32 points from 29 matches, but Gary Rowett's mid-February arrival did not spark an immediate turnaround as they managed just one win from his first seven games at the helm, a 2-0 home triumph over Bristol City followed by a loss and a goalless draw.

Then returning to action following the final international break of the season, the Midlands outfit hosted Preston North End on Friday and shared the points in a 2-2 draw, having led through Patson Daka and fell behind to goals from Andrew Moran and Ben Whiteman in the first half before Daka hit his second nine minutes from time to earn a point.

Now facing the final six games of the season with a one-point gap to safety, Leicester City will go in search of three crucial points at Hillsborough to strengthen their claim to avoid a second straight drop.

Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:

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Leicester City Championship form:

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Team News

Sheffield Wednesday remain without Murphy Cooper, Liam Cooper, Ernie Weaver and George Brown due to ongoing injuries.

Defender Di'Shon Bernard is nearing a return from his long-term layoff but is not fit to come in on Monday, while Max Lowe made a first start since December on Friday after returning from injury.

Jerry Yates will continue to lead the line, with Charlie McNeill again set to join him after Jamal Lowe and Ike Ugbo missed the trip to Stoke.

Leicester City remain without long-term absentees Harry Souttar, Victor Kristiansen and Aaron Ramsey, while star midfielder Jordan James was unable to feature on Friday after picking up an injury on international duty with Wales.

If he cannot return, 18-year-old Divine Mukasa should again start behind a lone striker alongside Stephy Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu, who has managed nine goals and seven assists in the Championship this term.

They will support front man Daka, who netted both goals in Friday's 2-2 draw, while at the other end of the pitch, Ben Nelson and Jamaal Lascelles will compete to join Caleb Okoli at the back.

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:

Charles; Palmer, Iorfa, M Lowe; Fusire, Thornton, Ingelsson, Heskey, Adaramola; McNeill, Yates

Leicester City possible starting lineup:

Stolarczyk; Pereira, Okoli, Nelson, Thomas; Winks, Skipp; Fatawu, Mukasa, Mavididi; Daka

We say: Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Leicester City

Despite Leicester's struggles throughout the entire season and in recent weeks, we cannot see Sheffield Wednesday - coming towards the end of a gruelling campaign in which they have struggled to compete - having enough to prevent the visitors' abundance of quality from seeing them to a three-point haul at Hillsborough.

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