Football League World
·13 September 2024
Football League World
·13 September 2024
We predicted how Sheffield Wednesday could line up against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
Sheffield Wednesday take on Queens Park Rangers in the Championship at Hillsborough on Saturday.
The Owls looked destined to make an immediate return to League One last season, but they achieved safety following a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl.
Rohl signed a new long-term contract in May, and positivity was high heading into the season after a busy summer of transfer activity that saw 11 new signings arrive at Hillsborough, but some of that optimism has been diminished after a disappointing start to the campaign.
Wednesday recorded an emphatic 4-0 home win over Plymouth Argyle on the opening weekend, but they have found it tough since then, and they suffered their third consecutive defeat as they were beaten 3-0 by Millwall at The Den before the international break.
The Owls have conceded nine goals in their last three league games, failing to get on the scoresheet themselves during that time, and they currently sit 20th in the table, which is the position they finished in last season.
Rohl will be desperate for his side to return to winning ways this weekend, but it will not be an easy task against a QPR side who are 12th in the table after picking up five points from their opening four games.
As the countdown to kick-off continues, we looked at how Wednesday could line up against the R's.
Beadle played a key role in Wednesday's survival last season after his January arrival, and much to the delight of supporters, he returned to the club on a season-long loan from Brighton & Hove Albion this summer.
The 20-year-old was called up to train with the England senior team by interim manager Lee Carsley during the international break, and that experience should give him plenty of confidence to take back to Hillsborough.
Valery joined Wednesday from French side Angers this summer, reuniting with Rohl after they worked together previously at Southampton, and he has started all four league games for the Owls so far this season.
There were fears that Valery could be set for a spell on the sidelines after he picked up a calf injury while on international duty with Tunisia, but Rohl confirmed that he will be available this weekend.
Iorfa started the first three league games of the season for Wednesday, but he missed the defeat at Millwall last time out, with Michael Ihiekwe coming in to replace him.
The Owls are facing something of a defensive injury crisis this weekend with question marks over the fitness of Iorfa, Ihiekwe and Di'Shon Bernard, but should Iorfa be fit, he will likely regain his place in the team.
Should Bernard be available, there is no doubt that he will start against QPR, but if he has picked up a knock, Rohl may be reluctant to risk him, particularly as he will have had little recovery time after featuring for Jamaica against Honduras on Wednesday.
Bernard's potential absence could open the door for Famewo, who is yet to feature in the league this season having struggled with injury issues himself during the early weeks of the campaign.
Lowe made the controversial move across South Yorkshire to join Wednesday this summer after his departure from Sheffield United, and he has started all four league games so far this season.
There have been some calls for Rohl to give Marvin Johnson a run in the team at left-back amid the Owls' disappointing recent form, but the German seems likely to stick with Lowe this weekend.
Charles completed a loan move to Wednesday in the final week of the transfer window, and he went straight into the starting line-up against Millwall before the international break.
The 20-year-old has experienced a win and a defeat while away with Northern Ireland over the last two weeks, but he was named as his side's Man of the Match for his performance in the 1-0 loss to Bulgaria on Sunday.
Bannan has established himself as a club legend since his arrival at Wednesday in 2015, and the Owls captain signed a new contract to extend his stay at Hillsborough this summer.
The 34-year-old put in an excellent performance against Plymouth on the opening weekend, and while he has struggled to produce his best form in recent games, he remains incredibly influential for Rohl's side.
Musaba made the move to Wednesday from Monaco last summer, and he enjoyed an impressive first season at Hillsborough as he finished as the club's top scorer with eight goals.
The Dutchman has only registered one assist in four appearances so far this campaign, but he has been a constant threat, and he will be looking to improve his end product this weekend.
It looked as though Windass was set to leave Hillsborough this summer after contract talks between him and the club stalled, but after a late intervention from Rohl, he put pen to paper on a new deal.
Windass started Wednesday's first three league games of the season before surprisingly being dropped to the bench against Millwall, but after his side failed to create any meaningful chances at The Den, he will likely be restored to the starting line-up this weekend.
It took Gassama time to find his feet after his move to Wednesday from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, but he showed plenty of potential during his first season at Hillsborough.
The 21-year-old is yet to register a goal or assist this season, and some supporters are keen to see new signing Olaf Kobacki make his first start for the club after some bright substitute appearances, but Rohl could decide to stick with Gassama.
Ugbo initially joined Wednesday on loan from Troyes in January, and after scoring seven goals and providing one assist in 19 appearances in the second half of last season, the Owls paid a reported fee of around £3 million to sign him on a permanent basis this summer.
The 25-year-old scored his first goal of the season in the 5-1 win at Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup last month, and he will be looking to open his account in the league against QPR this weekend.