Sheffield Wednesday

Bristol City make the trip to Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday as both sides look to close in on a place in the playoff spots (19:45 GMT).

The two sides are level on points but separated by goal difference on the Championship table, both just four points below West Bromwich Albion in sixth place.

However, neither side registered wins last time out, though the Owls have not lost any of their past three games at Hillsborough.

• Sheffield Wednesday have won just one of their last five league games against Bristol City (D2 L2), though that sole victory did come in this exact fixture last season (2-1).

• Bristol City have failed to win any of their last seven away league games against Sheffield Wednesday (D2 L5), netting just two goals in total across their last five league visits to Hillsborough.

• Since a 6-2 defeat to Watford in November, Sheffield Wednesday have lost just one of their last seven home league games (W3 D3) and are unbeaten in their previous three league outings at Hillsborough (W2 D1).

• Bristol City haven't won on the road in the league during midweek since Boxing Day 2023 at Watford (4-1), drawing four and losing two of their last six such matches.

• Bristol City's Scott Twine has been involved in four goals in his four previous Football League appearances against Sheffield Wednesday (3 goals, 1 assist), netting on both previous occasions at Hillsborough (2 goals).

Image source, Rex Features

A potential move by Sheffield United for on-loan Wednesday midfielder Shea Charles is "not a wind-up," says Blades boss Chris Wilder.

The 21-year-old Northern Ireland international, who has arguably been the Owls' most consistent performer this season, has made 24 Championship appearances and scored one goal, having joined on-loan from Southampton in August.

"He's a player we know a lot about - I know his agent really well," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"He's a player we identified in the summer as well - we're all doing our jobs whether it's Sheffield Wednesday or us there's a list of players so it's not a wind-up, even though people think it might have been."

Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri last week unexpectedly told a fans forum he expected Charles to be recalled by his parent club.

Southampton could then elect to loan him elsewhere, or sell, echoing Leicester City's decision to recall Tom Cannon from Stoke - another player in Sheffield United's sights.

"We've lost Ollie Arblaster, Tom Davies is coming back from injury so players of quality, of pedigree, he was one of them on the list and we'll see where we go in the next week," Wilder added.

"Certainly a combative central midfielder who can get about the park, break up things and play is on our radar and there's a lot of those players that fit the bill," added Wilder.

Ian Woodcock
BBC Sport England at Elland Road

Image source, Getty Images

Despite the result Sheffield Wednesday fans were probably pleased to have some actual football to focus on after a week where comments from chairman Dejphon Chansiri put an unwanted spotlight on the club and the future of boss Danny Rohl.

Rohl said after the game he "knows" when he will speak to Chansiri, who was at Elland Road on Sunday and will have seen and heard some travelling Owls fans protesting his ownership, and is hopeful of moving on.

The Owls were well in the game at Elland Road and a 3-0 defeat was rough on them on the balance of play.

They caused the league leaders problems which made for an anxious atmosphere for the home side, who have lost just once on their own patch all season but their shortcomings in attack were apparent, with just one shot on target in the whole game.

With Shea Charles likely to play his final game for the club on Wednesday night against Bristol City before returning to Southampton, they are desperate to add to their ranks before this month ends if they are to push for a top-six spot.

Rohl hopes to be active before the window closes in two weeks' time and, should the Owls manage to bolster their squad, they could yet be in the shake-up come May.

Defender Di'Shon Bernard told BBC Radio Sheffield on Friday that the atmosphere around the club was "tense" and if the situation with the manager and chairman isn't sorted soon that will only get worse.

Image source, Rex Features

Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl was happy with how his side competed in their 3-0 reverse at table-topping Leeds United.

The visitors fell a goal behind after just three minutes but stayed in the contest until two late goals secured the points for the Whites.

The German also said he wanted to draw a line under the speculation surrounding him and owner Dejphon Chansiri after the club's chairman said they had not spoken this month at a fans' forum on Wednesday.

"We had a proper performance between the first and second goal," said Rohl.

"The reaction from my team from the first goal was good.

"We changed the pressing at half-time, small details but it worked well.

"When you see the scoreline 3-0 it looks like a huge gap but when you play against the best team in the league they can do this.

On the ongoing situation with owner Dejphon Chansiri, he added: "I think a meeting with the chairman will come soon. I know when it will be.

"I think we should stop with stories [about Rohl's future]. For me it is not helpful, my focus is on the team."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

League leaders Leeds United welcome Sheffield Wednesday as the Whites look to stay on top of the Championship on Sunday afternoon (15:00 GMT).

Leeds are on a nine-match unbeaten streak but struggled to find a goal against League Two's Harrogate Town before winger Largie Ramazani's header in the second half of their 1-0 FA Cup victory.

The Owls are coming off the disappointment of faltering to Coventry City in their FA Cup penalty shootout.

The South Yorkshire side are currently residing in 10th on the league table and a win could see them in the mix to compete for a play-off spot.

• Leeds United have won each of their past two league games against Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 and will be looking to win three in succession against the Owls for the first time since April 2000 in the Premier League (4).

• Sheffield Wednesday have lost just one of their past four away league games against Leeds United (W2 D1), conceding just two goals in total across those matches and keeping clean sheets on each of their last two visits to Elland Road.

• Leeds are unbeaten across their past 17 league games against fellow Yorkshire sides (W12 D5), keeping 11 clean sheets during that time and conceding more than one goal in just one of those matches.

• Sheffield Wednesday have won five of their past eight away league games (D1 L2), as many as their previous 14 matches on the road (D1 L8).

• Joel Piroe is Leeds United's top scorer in the league this season (10) and is the only player to net 10+ goals in each of the past four Championship seasons (2 at Leeds, 2 at Swansea).

Rob Staton
BBC Radio Sheffield sport editor

Image source, Rex Features

Wednesday night's five-hour marathon fans' forum at Sheffield Wednesday highlighted one thing above everything else - there is clearly a breakdown in the relationship between chairman Dejphon Chansiri and manager Danny Rohl.

Chansiri was asked several times about the lack of communication the pair have had about transfers. He admitted they haven't spoken since December, insisting it was Rohl's responsibility to contact him and suggesting there was more he wanted to say on the matter but he was unable to do so.

At one point, Chansiri said Rohl had been "very brave" to challenge supporters to come to the fans forum and ask about the situation with transfers, when interviewed on BBC Radio Sheffield earlier this month.

Other topics included general manager Alastair Wilson addressing concerns about season ticket prices, the reveal that the club is considering installing safe-standing areas at Hillsborough and the night ended with the bombshell announcement that key player Shea Charles was being recalled from his loan by Southampton.

It's clear, though, what the main takeaway is. The chairman and the manager don't see eye-to-eye. Quite why that had to be made public via a forum - and why it hasn't been resolved, one way or another, behind the scenes - will be a question many fans ask.

Plenty of supporters will have been left deflated by last night's event. The Owls are three points off the play-offs and Rohl is probably the most popular boss the club has had since Ron Atkinson won the League Cup and promotion to the the top flight in 1991.

The former Bayern Munich coach kept the club up against all the odds last season. Instead of finding a way to harness this and move forwards, now the prevailing thought is - what on earth is going to happen next at a club that hasn't been in the Premier League for 25 years?

Sheffield Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri says Southampton will be recalling influential midfielder Shea Charles from his loan at Hillsborough. (Leeds Live, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column.

Wrexham are eyeing Sheffield Wednesday striker Michael Smith, who is out of contract at the end of the season. (The Mirror, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip here.

Both Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United are keen to sign Tom Cannon if he is recalled by Leicester from his loan at Stoke City and becomes available. (Yorkshire Post), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip here.

Brisbane Roar's teenage striker Thomas Waddingham was left out of the A-League side's squad this weekend amid speculation over a bid from Sheffield Wednesday, with QPR and Portsmouth also interested. (Sheffield Star, external)

Stoke could lose loan striker Tom Cannon this week, if Leicester decide to recall him and send him elsewhere, with Wednesday, Sunderland, Luton and Sheffield United all monitoring the 22-year-old Republic of Ireland forward. (Leicester Mercury, external)

Want more EFL transfer stories? Read Sunday's full gossip column.

Image source, Rex Features

Several Championship clubs will be playing close attention to comments from Aston Villa boss Unai Emery about attacking midfielder Louie Barry.

The 21-year-old has been recalled by Villa this week after a stellar loan spell with League One Stockport, where he scored 16 goals this season.

Leeds, Sunderland, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Derby, Middlesbrough, Millwall and Coventry are among the clubs reported to be keen on taking Barry for a stint in the second tier for the remainder of the campaign.

Speaking ahead of Villa's FA Cup third round clash with West Ham, Emery said: "(Barry) trained with us and we are going to make a plan with him, an overall plan,

"I think he is a very good player who is progressing well. He has been on loan doing fantastic. Now we can have a new plan with him.

"He improved because he was scoring a lot of goals on loan. With us he only trained today and yesterday. Of course we are going to try and get a good plan for the club with him."

Sheffield Wednesday will head to the CBS Arena to take on Coventry City in the FA Cup third round on Saturday (18:00 GMT).

• Coventry have progressed from five of their six FA Cup ties against Sheffield Wednesday, including a round four victory last season en route to the semi-final.

• Sheffield Wednesday won 2-1 away at Coventry in the Championship earlier this season, ending a 15-game winless run at the Sky Blues in all competitions.

• Coventry have scored at least three goals in each of their last four FA Cup matches – only one team in the 21st century has scored 3+ goals in five consecutive games in the competition proper, with Tottenham doing so between January 2021 and February 2022.

• Sheffield Wednesday have progressed from their past six FA Cup third round ties, last going out at this stage of the competition in 2016-17.

• Coventry's past four home games in the FA Cup have seen 25 goals scored, an average of just over six per game – 3-4 vs Wrexham, 6-2 vs Oxford United, 4-1 vs Sheffield Wednesday, 5-0 vs Maidstone United.

Sheffield Wednesday are keen on a deal for Ipswich defender Harry Clarke on loan for the rest of the season. (Sheffield Star), external

Want more EFL transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column.

Image source, Rex Features

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has been named the EFL's Championship manager of the month for December.

Leeds were unbeaten last month, with five wins and one draw from their six games, which saw them finish 2024 top of the table.

They also only conceded two goals in that run, while scoring 13.

It is the first time Farke has won the award this season.

Leeds have drawn their opening two games of January and host Harrogate Town in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.

QPR head coach Marti Cifuentes, Burnley's Scott Parker and Danny Rohl of Sheffield Wednesday were also nominated for the award.