Three Sheffield Wednesday players that Nottingham Forest would love in their team

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The Owls host the Reds at Hillsborough on Saturday.

Just over two years ago, Nottingham Forest travelled to Sheffield Wednesday as the unbeaten Championship leaders, with the Owls tucked inside the division’s top half.

At that moment in time, it was hard to envisage Forest giving a second thought to any member of that Wednesday team, bar the one they had already signed in Michail Antonio that summer.

As it transpired, the Reds had suffered a severe false start. In the end, Stuart Pearce’s side, who had harboured serious promotion hopes before the campaign began, ended it in 14th place – one behind Stuart Gray’s Owls

In terms of league position at least, last season was much of the same for Forest, while Wednesday, transformed by the arrival of new head coach Carlos Carvalhal, narrowly missed out on promotion by virtue of a 1-0 defeat to Hull City in the play-off final at Wembley.

With the Owls now considered one of the division’s top sides – on their day at least – Forest would no doubt love a stab at some of their stars.

Ahead of this weekend’s Hillsborough clash, we’ve identified three of them in particular:

Tom Lees

Though the Championship’s second highest scorers this season, Forest have actually recorded a negative goal difference thus far. Wednesday, who boasted the league’s sixth best defence, may have been slightly off-colour in that department, however, according to Opta key man Lees betters every single Reds defender in terms of fewest goals conceded per minute and aerial duels won.

Barry Bannan

The Scotland international has managed to shake off his detractors since securing regular game time at Hillsborough, and was named in the division’s team of the year last term. Most of the Owls’ best play is transmitted through the 26-year-old, who has recorded a goal and two assists this season.

Fernando Forestieri

Still looking to properly find his feet this term, following a period of unsettlement in August, the Argentine-born forward remains Wednesday’s star man. He scored 15 goals in his debut campaign in South Yorkshire and would fill the void left by Oliver Burke’s City Ground departure.