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

Aiming to strengthen their standing in the top six of the Championship table, Wrexham will travel to Hillsborough to take on Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

The hosts are rooted to the foot of the table on -7 points, while their visitors currently lead seventh place by a single point.

Match preview

Sheffield Wednesday return to Championship action on Saturday aiming to end a major rut and begin a climb towards a positive points tally.

Facing an unenviable campaign with a limited squad and total deductions of 18 points after entering administration in October, the Owls have been unable to overcome the odds thus far, sitting on -7 points having only earned one win and eight draws from their 28 matches thus far.

Since their only triumph in September, Henrik Pedersen's side are now winless in 22 league outings including five straight defeats and six in all competitions heading into the weekend, taking their league-high tally to 56 goals conceded while no side have scored fewer than their 18 goals.

The South Yorkshire outfit have also now failed to score in their last seven games, most recently suffering 2-0 league defeats to Birmingham City and Bristol City, as Scott Twine and Sam Bell condemned them to a loss at Ashton Gate against the latter last weekend.

Now facing further issues in the January transfer window with an end to administration not yet in sight, Sheffield Wednesday sit 34 points behind 23rd spot and 37 adrift of safety and will at least home to end their long drought with a first home league win of the season on Saturday.

They face a tough test, though, as the visitors arrive aiming to strengthen their standing in the playoff places.

In their first season back in the Championship after winning three consecutive promotions from England's fifth tier, Wrexham have continued their eye-catching rise so far this term, currently sitting sixth having earned 44 points from their 29 games.

That is in no small part down to an impressive away record, having won five and only lost four of their 14 league outings on the road thus far, most recently taking all three points from a trip to Queens Park Rangers.

Having seen a four-game winning run halted by a loss to Norwich City and a draw with Leicester City in mid-January, the Red Dragons visited the English capital last weekend and came from behind to win 3-2 in dramatic fashion, levelling through Josh Windass in the 93rd minute before Oliver Rathbone scored a long-range winner deeper into injury time.

That saw Wrexham keep hold of their top-six spot, but still only leading seventh-placed Bristol City by a single point, they will hope to begin building a cushion over the chasing pack with another win on Saturday.

Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:

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Sheffield Wednesday form (all competitions):

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Wrexham Championship form:

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Wrexham form (all competitions):

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Team News

Sheffield Wednesday's small squad remains hit by injuries, with Pierce Charles, Dominic Iorfa, Di'Shon Bernard, Ernie Weaver, Max Lowe, Nathaniel Chalobah, Olaf Kobacki and Ike Ugbo still sidelined.

They have also been weakened with the January losses of Harry Amass, Yisa Alao and talismanic captain Barry Bannan, who departed for Millwall this week after 10 years with the Owls.

Manchester City loanee Jaden Heskey will take on more midfield responsibility with Bannan gone, while Charlie McNeill, Bailey Cadamarteri and Jamal Lowe will all hope for attacking starts.

Wrexham will field a similar starting XI from last week's away win at QPR, with Lewis Brunt, Elliot Lee and Ryan Hardie remaining sidelined.

There is competition, though, with Oliver Rathbone and former Sheffield Wednesday attacker Josh Windass, hoping to earn starts after scoring decisive goals off the bench in that game.

Nathan Broadhead and Kieffer Moore will hope to keep their places up front, though, with the latter having netted 10 league goals so far this term, while Issa Kabore and George Thomason offer further attacking support from wing-back roles.

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:

Cooper; Palmer, Otegbayo, McGhee, Johnson; Heskey, Ingelsson; Redmond, Cadamarteri, McNeill; J Lowe

Wrexham possible starting lineup:

Okonkwo; Hyam, Scarr, Doyle; Kabore, Sheaf, Rathbone, Thomason; Windass, Moore, Broadhead

We say: Sheffield Wednesday 0-3 Wrexham

Boosted by an away win last time out to get their top-six bid back on track, Wrexham should have enough quality to cruise past a depleted Sheffield Wednesday side low on confidence on Saturday.

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