Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa are considered promotion contenders this season.
Sheffield Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal has told the Football League Preview programme, which was broadcast on BBC Radio Five Live on 2nd August, that Aston Villa should be amongst the favourites for promotion this season.
Villa have kept the bulk of their squad together since relegation, and they have already added three new players to their team.
Carvalhal has been impressed by the work which has gone on at Villa Park.
And the Wednesday boss said: “They are a very strong side. They have a good coach, a good team and they have some really very strong players.”
Villa are set to strengthen even further before the start of the new campaign, with Fulham striker Ross McCormack set to join.
The arrival of McCormack will make Di Matteo’s attacking options much stronger.
The Scotland international could even make his debut for Villa in their first came of the season, which comes against Carvalhal’s Wednesday side.
The Owls are set to host Villa on Sunday, and Carvalhal has warned the newly relegated team that they are set for a tough welcome to the Championship.
“It will be tough for Villa,” he added. “They are playing at our stadium. We don’t play with just 11, we play with 26,000. The fans will be with us, the energy will be with us and make our team more dynamic. We are ready.”
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