Windass starts: The predicted Sheffield Wednesday XI to face Southampton tonight | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday will be desperate to kick off their Championship return with a victory over relegated side Southampton this evening.

Considering how strong the Saints look at the moment, a victory for the Owls would be a massive statement but it wouldn't be a major surprise if they came away with all three points.

The visitors still need time to adapt to Russell Martin's methods and the hosts will benefit hugely from having the Hillsborough crowd behind them.

But it would still be impressive if the South Yorkshire outfit secured a win and it would be a further boost to a side that have managed to strengthen in recent days.

Di'Shon Bernard has arrived this week and so have Bambo Diaby and Anthony Musaba, with the latter two arriving for undisclosed fees.

Owner Dejphon Chansiri has been prepared to spend fees on a few players this summer - and Wednesday's fans will be hoping they can enjoy a reasonably successful season following a reasonably slow start to the summer.

Now fully active in the market, the atmosphere in South Yorkshire should be exceptional this evening and ahead of this clash, we take a look at the starting lineup Xisco Munoz could put out.

Who could start for Sheffield Wednesday against Southampton?

GK: Cameron Dawson

With the Owls yet to bring in another goalkeeping option following David Stockdale's departure, Cameron Dawson gets the nod and arguably deserves to start following an impressive spell between the sticks last term.

Even if a new shot-stopper does come in, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Dawson retain his starting spot if he performs well during the early stages of the season.

LB: Reece James

At left-back, Reece James comes in despite being left out as a precaution last week, with his goal against Peterborough United in the play-off semi-final second leg just going to show how much of an asset he can be in the final third.

Coming in from Blackpool on a permanent deal, he could be a magnificent signing following his successful loan spell last term.

RB: Liam Palmer

Liam Palmer starts on the other side because he's such an experienced figure and with that, he should provide some stability at the back.

He could easily find himself out of the starting lineup sooner rather than later considering Xisco has other options at his disposal - but Palmer could be the stable figure needed to keep the club afloat in their current division.

CB: Michael Ihiekwe

Ihiekwe starts despite the signings of Bernard and Diaby this week, with the former giving the latter two the opportunity to become accustomed to life in South Yorkshire without being thrown in the deep end.

The former Rotherham United centre-back opted against staying with the then-promoted Millers to join the Owls - but will get his opportunity to ply his trade in the second tier during the upcoming campaign.

CB: Dominic Iorfa

Iorfa has to appear alongside him as a player who has plenty of experience at this level before.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man and Ihiekwe started against Luton last weekend, so having consistency could pay dividends for Wednesday against a strong Saints side.

CDM: Barry Bannan

Bannan was a key figure in guiding the club back to the Championship and will probably be one of the first names on the teamsheet during the 2023/24 season and beyond.

Wednesday were arguably lucky to keep the Scotsman during their time in League One - but the midfielder's faith in his teammates was rewarded with the Owls managing to secure promotion at the second time of asking.

CDM: George Byers

George Byers has been at Hillsborough for a while too and could start alongside Bannan, although Will Vaulks could also step in considering he's an experienced figure at this level.

Byers can offer a lot going forward though - and he will be keen to show his former club Swansea City why they should have retained him.

CAM: Josh Windass

Byers' inclusion in a deeper role should allow Josh Windass to take up an attacking midfield role, with his ability to be a goalscoring asset likely to be extremely useful for his side this term.

He's another player the Owls were lucky to keep hold of considering his quality - and proved to be the difference in the play-off final with his header against Barnsley winning the clash.

LW: Juan Delgado

30-year-old Delgado could appear in the starting lineup, with the wide man able to operate on both sides.

The Owls aren't blessed with a huge number of wide options, so it wouldn't be a shock to see the summer signing start.

RW: Anthony Musaba

Musaba may be registered in time to play this game and although Bernard and Diaby aren't in this lineup, the wing area is a much less delicate position to handle for Xisco.

Even if Musaba doesn't have his best game, that may not be detrimental to Xisco's side's cause, so he may be worth starting if he's up to speed.

ST: Michael Smith

Lee Gregory and Michael Smith are both good assets to have up front - but the latter has to start considering he can be a very prolific scorer when in top form.

He also started against Luton, which could mean he's sharper than Gregory at this point who was also left out last weekend.