Sheffield Wednesday host Sunderland in the Championship this evening.
Sheffield Wednesday are still seeking their first three points of the Championship season ahead of Sunderland’s visit to Hillsborough tonight.
The Mackems have defied many people’s expectations by picking up four from their first two outings, and will be looking to increase the pressure mounting on Owls head coach Carlos Carvalhal.
Owls head coach Carlos Carvalhal
Not only have the Portuguese’s side failed to collect anything more than a point so far, their performances have offered little hope they can replicate the past two campaigns’ play-off finishes.
At the time of writing, only one new face, George Boyd, has arrived on a free transfer, while an alleged altercation between Wednesday strikers Sam Winnall and Fernando Forestieri has proved another unwelcome distraction.
Forestieri paid for his apparent indiscretion by missing Saturday’s 1-1 draw with QPR, in which Winnall impressed after coming off the bench midway through the first half – scoring the Owls’ equaliser.
Whether Forestieri, the Yorkshire side’s undisputed talisman, returns to Carvalhal’s Sunderland eleven remains to be seen, although he was dropped to the bench after the last time he stepped out of line – against Burton Albion, a year to the day exactly.
Sheffield Wednesday forward Fernando Forestieri
The Argentina-born star is not Wednesday’s only worry, however, with Sam Hutchinson ruled out and fellow key men Glenn Loovens and Steven Fletcher – released by Sunderland in 2016 – both doubts.
Rumoured new recruit Frederico Venancio is unlikely to have been registered in time, leaving left-back Daniel Pudil on stand-by to replace Loovens in the middle, while Boyd could return in midfield.
Here’s how we suspect the Owls could look against the Mackems:
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