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

Two sides at opposite ends of the Championship table will meet at Hillsborough on Saturday, as Sheffield Wednesday host Millwall.

The visitors sit fifth, while their hosts are rooted to the foot of the division with the confirmation of their relegation looming.

Match preview

Sheffield Wednesday return to Championship action at Hillsborough on Saturday with confirmation of their all but inevitable relegation nearing.

Heading into the season with a threadbare squad and mounting off-field concerns, the Owls were able to escape former ownership in October at the cost of entering administration with deductions totalling 18 points.

Henrik Pedersen and his young side have failed to overcome that deficit, picking up just one win and 11 points from their 31 matches to sit at the bottom of the division on -7, having scored a league-low tally of 18 goals and conceded a league-high tally of 62.

They now head into the weekend having failed to win or score in any of their last eight Championship games and nine in all competitions, most recently suffering a 4-0 beating in a trip to Swansea City last weekend as Zan Vipotnik netted a brace for the hosts alongside goals from Goncalo Franco and Malick Yalcouye.

Now near the brink, sitting 39 points adrift of safety with just 45 left to play for, Sheffield Wednesday will hope to finally end their slump and winless run dating back to September on Saturday.

They face another tough test, with the visitors in search of back-to-back wins in the automatic promotion race.

Millwall have enjoyed a strong campaign thus far and head to Hillsborough as the Championship's fifth-placed side, having picked up 15 wins and 53 points from their first 31 games while losing just eight.

Just one of those losses have come from the last nine league games for Alex Neil's side, who have since managed two wins and a draw after a setback against then-leaders Coventry City, firstly thrashing rivals Charlton Athletic 4-0.

Then on the back of a home draw with Sheffield United, the Lions visited playoff-chasing Wrexham last Saturday and picked up an impressive 2-0 victory, as a Max Cleworth own goal had them head on the hour mark and Josh Coburn put the game out of sight five minutes from time.

Now sitting fifth with a six-point cushion over seventh spot in the playoff race and the same gap up to faltering Coventry in second spot, Millwall head into the weekend looking to take a step closer to the automatic promotion places with another win.

Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:

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Millwall Championship form:

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Millwall form (all competitions):

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Team News

Sheffield Wednesday remain hit by injuries, with Pierce Charles, Di'Shon Bernard, Dominic Iorfa, Max Lowe, Sean Fusire, Nathaniel Chalobah and George Brown all sidelined, while Svante Ingelsson also missed the trip to Swansea last weekend.

The Owls have also seen Yan Valery depart for Young Boys on loan, while talismanic captain and midfielder Barry Bannan left in January after 10 years as one of their key men.

Taya Adaramola, Joel Ndala and Marvelous Nakamba all made debuts last weekend after their arrivals late in the January window, and the latter will hope to make a first start in midfield alongside Manchester City loanee Jaden Heskey.

Millwall face injuries of their own, with William Smallbone, Massimo Luongo and Daniel Kelly ruled out alongside defender Joe Bryan.

They looked to add much-needed quality and depth in the centre with the January capture of veteran Bannan, and he will make a return to Hillsborough on Saturday, likely joining Casper De Norre and Billy Mitchell.

Coburn will hope to earn an attacking spot from the start after his goal off the bench last Saturday, with Mihailo Ivanovic having started up top against Wrexham with support from Femi Azeez and Camiel Neghli.

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:

Cooper; Palmer, Otegbayo, Cooper; Adaramola, Nakamba, Heskey, Ndala; McNeill, Yates, J Lowe

Millwall possible starting lineup:

Crocombe; Crama, Taylor, Cooper, Doughty; De Norre, Mitchell; Azeez, Bannan, Neghli; Ivanovic

We say: Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Millwall

Sheffield Wednesday's attacking struggles have been obvious in recent months, and while the visitors have been far from the Championship's most prolific attack, they should have more than enough to breach the Owls' defence and make it consecutive wins.

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