Sheffield Wednesday travel to Sunderland in the EFL Cup on Thursday.
Sheffield Wednesday’s EFL Cup campaign begins at the home of League One promotion favourites Sunderland on Thursday.
Unlike their opponents, who are unbeaten in each of their two fixtures this season, Wednesday remain on the hunt for their first win.
But with a run of three league games in six days to come, the Owls may opt to rest a few of their stars at Sunderland.
Manager Jos Luhukay has already confirmed that Joe Wildsmith will start in place of Cameron Dawson in goal, but left the rest of his XI open to debate.
Sheffield Wednesday are boosted by the return from suspension of last season’s top scorer Atdhe Nuhiu, and the Kosovan is likely make an immediate return to the side with former Mackem Steven Fletcher struggling for fitness and no other strikers available.
Jordan Thorniley impressed as a substitute against Hull on Saturday and should also start, either at left-wing-back or on the left of a back three, with Daniel Pudil the most probable victim if it’s the latter.
Senior players Liam Palmer, Joost van Aken, David Jones, George Boyd and Marco Matias could earn recalls, although the likes of Connor O’Grady, Frederik Nielsen, Jack Lee, Matt Penney, Alex Hunt and Fraser Preston (to take an educated guess) may get chances to impress instead of some of those.
This is how we suspect Sheffield Wednesday might look against Sunderland:
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