Preview: Sheffield Wednesday vs Wigan Athletic - prediction, team news, lineups

Sat at opposite ends of the League One table in the early stages of the 2026-27 season, Sheffield Wednesday and Wigan Athletic will meet at Hillsborough on Saturday.

The hosts currently top the table having won four of their five games, while the visitors sit 24th with just three points on the board.

Match preview

Sheffield Wednesday head back into League One action at Hillsborough on Saturday aiming to make it four straight victories and strengthen their position at the top of the table in the early stages of the season.

Following relegation back to League One and a fresh start over the summer, having exited administration and enjoyed new ownership and an ambitious transfer window, the Owls have immediately started to bounce back, winning four of their first five matches in the third tier.

They have impressed at both ends of the pitch, with only one team conceding fewer than the six goals they have allowed, despite not yet keeping a clean sheet, while no team has topped their tally of 13 goals.

After a sole defeat to Bradford City and an EFL Cup exit to Wolves, Henrik Pedersen's side have managed three consecutive three-point hauls, firstly thrashing Bromley 7-2 at Hillsborough before beating Wycombe Wanderers and Peterborough United 2-1 away, as a Josh Feeney own goal and decisive 79th-minute finish from Yan Valery settled it against the latter last weekend.

With confidence rising in the Owls camp, having put a dismal 2025-26 campaign behind them, Sheffield Wednesday return to Hillsborough aiming to continue a winning streak and their formidable start to the campaign.

Their visitors, meanwhile, arrive in search of a return to winning ways in what has been a slow start to their campaign.

The 2026-27 season is Wigan Athletic's first full one under Gary Caldwell, who returned to the club in February and oversaw an eventual 16th-placed finish last time around, and they are yet to kick into gear since the beginning of the new term.

Alongside an EFL Cup defeat and EFL Trophy victory, the Latics lost their first three league outings, conceding six goals and scoring twice along the way, before putting their first points on the board in a 3-1 home win over MK Dons thanks to Jensen Weir's brace and Max Power's goal.

Caldwell's men failed to build on that last weekend, though, hosting Stockport County and suffering a 4-0 beating as Kyle Wootton, Harry Wood, Jack Diamond and Ryan Glover condemned them to a fourth league defeat of the campaign.

Now sat bottom of the division, albeit with two sides also on three points and three on four points, Wigan Athletic face another tough test on Saturday and will hope to correct their form and avoid being cut adrift in the coming weeks.

Sheffield Wednesday League One form:

Sheffield Wednesday form (all competitions):

Wigan Athletic League One form:

Wigan Athletic form (all competitions):

Team News

Sheffield Wednesday remain unable to call on Max Lowe, Tyler Onyango, Jordi Liongola and Harry Gray, while defenders Ricardo Santos and Sil Swinkels are also unlikely to be declared fit.

Star winger Louie Barry was a recent addition to the treatment room and faces a lengthy absence, meaning new arrival Davis Keillor-Dunn, who debuted last weekend, should again start in attack, likely alongside Kieran Morrison and Jamal Lowe.

They do face competition, though, with Ali Al-Hamadi and Mason Burstow vying for spots up top, while Billy Mitchell and Jaden Heskey will compete to join key men Barry Bannan and Callum Slattery in midfield.

Wigan Athletic midfielder Akeel Higgins is unlikely to feature after missing their last two games, while Luke Harris, Christian Saydee and Ryan Trevitt will continue spells on the sidelines.

Caldwell may opt to make changes from last weekend's 4-0 defeat, with the likes of Fraser Murray, Bradley-Paul Burrowes and Jon Mellish fighting to come in from the start.

In the absence of Harris, Connor Barrett took up a makeshift wing role last time out, joining Weir and Reggie Walsh behind front man Dara Costelloe, and Murray and Sonny Perkins may both return to bolster the struggling attack.

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:

Lumley; Valery, Otegbayo, Cooper, James; Bannan, Mitchell; Lowe, Slattery, Morrison; Keillor-Dunn

Wigan Athletic possible starting lineup:

Whitworth; Carragher, Burns, Fox, Harris; Mellish, Power; Perkins, Weir, Murray; Costelloe

We say: Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 Wigan Athletic

Sheffield Wednesday are full of confidence in the early stages of their League One return and showing their abundance of quality, while the visitors are yet to get going this term and showing signs of weakness, particularly with their dwindled attacking ranks.

The in-form Owls should fancy themselves for a first league clean sheet of the season and a relatively comfortable victory at Hillsborough.

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