Sheffield Wednesday travel to the league’s second best side on Saturday.
Kieran Lee (right) made his Sheffield Wednesday comeback this month
Sheffield Wednesday have stuck with the same starting XI in each of their September fixtures so far, yielding six points out of six.
But a trip to second-placed Cardiff City on Saturday, where the Bluebirds have won all three of their Championship outings this season, brings a different proposition.
Unlike at home, where Wednesday supporters expect their team to attack the likes of Nottingham Forest and Brentford who visited Hillsborough this week, the Owls could perhaps be forgiven if they went to South Wales with a more defensive outlook.
Now could be the time to rest key offensive players such as Steven Fletcher, Kieran Lee and Ross Wallace, who are all carrying knocks according to Carlos Carvalhal, ahead of next weekend’s visit of Sheffield United.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Almen Abdi is injured again
Midfielder Barry Bannan, who has been arguably Wednesday’s best player this season, and right-back Jack Hunt, another contender, may also be granted a weekend off.
Even without Glenn Loovens, Sam Hutchinson, Almen Abdi, George Boyd and Fernando Forestieri, the Owls have plenty of options should they wish to freshen things up, with Liam Palmer, Morgan Fox, Daniel Pudil, Jacob Butterfield, Marco Matias, Jordan Rhodes and Lucas Joao all available.
Here’s how HITC suspects they might look:
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