Preview:West Bromwich Albion vs Sheffield Wednesday - prediction, team news, lineups

In their second Championship outing after entering administration, Sheffield Wednesday will travel to the Hawthorns Stadium to take on West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

A 12-point deduction left the visitors stranded at the foot of the table on -6 points, while their hosts have fallen two points behind the playoff places following consecutive defeats.

Match preview

West Bromwich Albion return to action at the weekend aiming to move back into the Championship's top six, having lost important ground in recent weeks.

In their first season under the management of Ryan Mason, after a ninth-placed finish last time around, the Baggies enjoyed a relatively pleasing start, as a mid-October win over Preston North End left them fifth on 17 points from 10 outings.

Those 10 matches produced five victories and three losses for the West Midlands side, but they have failed to add to their points tally in two further attempts since, firstly visiting Watford and leaving empty-handed from a 2-1 loss despite leading in the first half through Isaac Price.

A trip to Ipswich Town then followed last weekend, and Mason's men again fell short as Jack Clarke broke the deadlock with the only goal of the game seven minutes from time.

Now sitting 11th in England's second tier, with only five teams scoring fewer than their 12 goals in 12 games, but still only trailing the playoff spots by two points, West Bromwich Albion will hope to bounce back to winning ways at the Hawthorns Stadium on Saturday.

Their visitors, meanwhile, head to the West Midlands aiming to lift spirits and end a six-match winless run in the Championship.

In what was always set to be a tough season following widespread summer departures and ongoing financial issues, Sheffield Wednesday's hopes were further harmed in late October as they entered administration and were handed a 12-point deduction.

Having only managed six points from their first 11 attempts under the new management of Henrik Pedersen beforehand, that left the Owls on -6 points, and they were unable to climb back towards zero last weekend, albeit with new hopes at Hillsborough.

In front of a sell-out crowd following the administration-enforced departure of the previous ownership, Pedersen's side hosted Oxford United and fell to a 2-1 loss, their eighth league defeat of the season, having trailed by two at the interval and failed to find a leveller after Sean Fusire halved the deficit in the second half.

Now sitting 16 points adrift of safety but with the administration arguably giving the Owls cause for optimism for the coming years under new ownership, Sheffield Wednesday now travel to the Hawthorns in search of a statement victory.

West Bromwich Albion Championship form:

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Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:

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Team News

West Bromwich Albion will remain without midfielders Jayson Molumby and Toby Collyer, both of whom have missed the last two games through injury.

Ryan Mason fielded the same starting XI in their last two defeats and may opt to make alterations on Saturday, with Daryl Dike, Josh Maja and Karlan Grant competing for attacking starts after Mikey Johnston, Isaac Price and Samuel Iling-Junior supported Aune Heggebo last time out.

Alex Mowatt and Ousmane Diakite should continue in the engine room, while Nat Phillips and Chris Mepham are bound to partner up at the back again.

Sheffield Wednesday's uphill battle this season has only been worsened by injuries, and they are again unable to call on goalkeeper Pierce Charles, defenders Di'Shon Bernard and Ernie Weaver, midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah and attackers Olaf Kobacki and George Brown.

Ethan Horvath will return between the sticks, having been replaced by fellow emergency loanee Joe Lumley in the last two games due to a suspension, while Max Lowe and Liam Palmer should again join Dominic Iorfa in defence.

Captain Barry Bannan remains the Owls' talisman in the engine room, while attack is the only area of Pedersen's squad with a degree of strength in depth, as Jamal Lowe, Ike Ugbo, Bailey Cadamarteri and Charlie McNeill will compete to start.

West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:

Griffiths; Campbell, Phillips, Mepham, Taylor; Mowatt, Diakite; Grant, Price, Iling-Junior; Maja

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:

Horvath; Palmer, Iorfa, M Lowe; Fusire, Ingelsson, Bannan, Valery, Amass; Lowe, Cadamarteri

We say: West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday

West Bromwich Albion have failed to impress in attack so far this season, but we back them to find a way through a depleted Sheffield Wednesday side while showing their defensive solidity on home turf.

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