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

Both on the back of midweek penalty shootout triumphs to progress in the EFL Cup, Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke City will meet in Championship action at Hillsborough on Saturday.

The hosts suffered a narrow defeat away at Leicester City last weekend in their curtain-raiser, while their visitors kicked off their league campaign with a home victory.

Match preview

Sheffield Wednesday head into the weekend aiming to open their account in what promises to be a difficult Championship campaign, having made a valiant start last weekend in spite of off-field issues.

Following a 12th-placed finish in their second consecutive second-tier season last time around, the Owls saw manager Danny Rohl and an abundance of first-team players depart over the summer with no incomings thus far.

Henrik Pedersen stepped up to lead the South Yorkshire outfit into the new term, and they began with a tough trip to newly-relegated Leicester City last weekend, taking a surprise lead through Nathaniel Chalobah only to leave empty-handed as Jannik Vestergaard and Wout Faes netted second-half goals, with the winner coming three minutes from time after Barry Bannan's 74th-minute red card.

Left encouraged by that effort in the East Midlands, Pedersen's men then visited third-tier Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Cup first round on Wednesday and progressed by coming out on top in a penalty shootout, having drawn 3-3 in normal time after leading 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 through Guilherme Siqueira, Ike Ugbo and Reece Johnson.

Now aiming to build on the positives of those two opening displays but facing the challenges of a limited senior squad without reinforcements, Sheffield Wednesday will aim to mark their first home game of the campaign with an uplifting victory on Saturday.

Their visitors, meanwhile, head to South Yorkshire aiming to make it back-to-back league victories and three straight wins in all competitions to kick off their term.

The 2025-26 season is Stoke City's first full campaign under the management of Mark Robins, who took charge around the turn of the year and led them to an 18th-placed finish as they earned 25 points from 21 league games under the new boss.

The Potters then kicked off the latest edition, their eighth straight Championship season, at home to Derby County last weekend and took all three points, despite falling behind to a Carlton Morris goal on the hour mark, as Lewis Baker levelled the game 10 minutes later and Divin Mubama and Sorba Thomas sealed a dramatic 3-1 victory in injury time.

Fourth-tier Walsall then visited the bet365 Stadium for an EFL Cup first-round tie on Saturday, and Robins's men progressed, albeit requiring a penalty shootout to progress as the game ended goalless after 90 minutes.

Now turning their focus back to the league campaign, Stoke City will bid to continue a winning run in the coming weeks and establish themselves at the right end of the division, beginning by making it six points from two attempts in their first away trip on Saturday.

Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:

Sheffield Wednesday form (all competitions):

Stoke City Championship form:

Stoke City form (all competitions):

Team News

Henrik Pedersen will revert to a similar Sheffield Wednesday starting XI from their opening-day trip to Leicester City, although their already thin squad took a further hit with injuries to Nathaniel Chalobah and Yan Valery in that game.

In the absence of Chalobah, Sean Fusire will start in midfield alongside captain Barry Bannan, who served a suspension against Bolton Wanderers, while Guilherme Siqueira may keep his place on the right-hand side after his goal on Wednesday if Valery does not return to fitness in time.

Elsewhere, Ike Ugbo will hope to earn a spot in attack, having got on the scoresheet in midweek after failing to find the net in the Championship last season, although he faces competition from Jamal Lowe and Bailey Cadamarteri.

Mark Robins will also hope to revert to an unchanged Stoke City starting XI from their opening-day win, although midfielder Ben Pearson is a doubt through injury.

Divin Mubama and Sorba Thomas will play important roles going forward, having both scored on debut against Derby County last weekend, while Bae Jun-ho and Million Manhoef could again complete the front line despite competition from Jamie Donley and Robert Bozenik.

If Pearson misses out, Tatsuki Seko will likely join key man Lewis Baker in the engine room, while Ashley Phillips, Bosun Lawal, Ben Gibson and Ben Wilmot will all battle to start in the middle of the defence.

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:

Charles; Otegbayo, Iorfa, Palmer; Siqueira, Bannan, Fusire, M Lowe; Ingelsson; J Lowe, Cadamarteri

Stoke City possible starting lineup:

Johansson; Tchamadeu, Lawal, Wilmot, Cresswell; Seko, Baker; Manhoef, Bae, Thomas; Mubama

We say: Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 Stoke City

Sheffield Wednesday fought valiantly against Leicester City and may see Saturday as a better opportunity to get off the mark.

We can only envisage their lack of reinforcements taking its toll, though, and back Stoke City to make it back-to-back league wins and leave Hillsborough with all three points.

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