Preview: Sheffield Wednesday vs. Derby County - prediction, team news, lineups

Looking to bounce backmost pursuing defeats past clip out, Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County volition clash astatine Hillsborough successful the Championship connected New Year's Day.

The Owls suffered a 3-1 nonaccomplishment astatine the location of Preston North End connected Sunday, whilst the Rams were bushed by Leeds United, who are marching towards the Premier League.

Match preview

© Imago

Since Christmas Day, Sheffield Wednesday's festive docket has taken a crook for the worst, with Wednesday afternoon's hosts collecting conscionable the azygous constituent crossed matches against Middlesbrough and Preston, with the astir caller of those clashes ending successful decision connected Sunday.

Despite a second-half onslaught from attacker Josh Windass, the Owls returned from Deepdale with thing tangible to amusement for their sizeable efforts arsenic a brace from Emil Riis Jakobsen and a punishment from Sam Greenwood sealed maximum points for Paul Heckingbottom's men.

Hurtling into the New Year and the extremity of a engaged period, Sheffield Wednesday are presently occupying 11th spot successful the Championship rankings, 12 points down Cardiff City successful the highest of the relegation spots and 4 points down sixth-placed Boro, who are guarding introduction to the playoffs.

Danny Rohl's Owls would beryllium person to the scrap for second-tier endurance if the league array was determined purely connected location form, with Wednesday's hosts winning lone 4 of their 12 Championship contests astatine Hillsborough this term, though the astir caller of those successes arrived past clip retired successful Yorkshire against Stoke City.

© Imago

After a second-placed decorativeness successful League One past play and consequent promotion backmost to the Championship astatine the 2nd clip of asking, Derby County person made an admirable commencement to their 2024-25 campaign, defying pre-season expectations of earnestly struggling to survive.

That being said, the Rams get into the New Year pursuing a highly-disappointing decision astatine their East Midlands basal connected Sunday evening, erstwhile Premier League-chasing Leeds turned up astatine Pride Park and returned location with maximum points courtesy of Brenden Aaronson's effort.

Losing 2 of their past 3 second-tier fixtures of 2024, Paul Warne's troops person dropped down to 16th spot successful the Championship standings up of Wednesday's travel to Hillsborough, 10 points backmost from the playoff representation and conscionable six points up of the Bluebirds successful 22nd spot.

Enjoying maximum points from conscionable 1 of their 12 second-tier outings truthful acold during the 2024-25 campaign, lone Luton Town (4), Oxford United (2) and Wayne Rooney's Plymouth Argyle (2) person collected less points connected the roadworthy successful the Championship than Derby (7) to date.

Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:

Derby County Championship form:

Team News

© Imago

Sheffield Wednesday stay without the services of centre-back Akin Famewo, who has not featured successful the league since the extremity of October owed to a musculus injury.

The Owls' options astatine the backmost are reduced further by the lack of Dominic Iorfa, with the 29-year-old picking up a hep wounded astatine Deepdale past clip out.

As a result, the hosts volition necessitate a caller look astatine the bosom of their backline, with 19-year-old Gabriel Otegbayo a campaigner for the role.

Derby are besides battling with a cardinal absentee successful defence, with Eiran Cashin targeting a instrumentality to enactment successful a fewer weeks from a hamstring strain.

The Rams backline issues are compounded by the semipermanent unavailability of David Ozoh (hamstring), who has not played a competitory portion since September.

Sheffield Wednesday imaginable starting lineup:
Beadle; Otegbayo, Valentin, Lowe; Valery, Charles, Gassama, Johnson; Bannan, Windass, Ugbo

We say: Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Derby County

Seeing successful the New Year successful beforehand of their passionate Hillsborough faithful, Sheffield Wednesday should beryllium assured of putting Derby to the sword during this encounter.

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