Sheffield Wednesday

Image source, Rex Features

Sheffield Wednesday defender Max Lowe says Saturday's game against Cardiff City at Hillsborough is a "great opportunity" to start putting together a run of good form.

The Owls are 15th in the Championship, three points above the drop zone, but face five other sides from the bottom half of the table over their next seven matches.

"The discussion has been had, we know it's a great opportunity for us," Lowe told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"I still think it's a little bit too early to look at the table but we know these are games we can win.

"In this league, if you put a run of 10 games of really good form and performances and the results come along, you know we will be up there in the table.

"So, we need to look at that and go into this run with full confidence."

Lowe joined Wednesday in the summer after four years at local rivals Sheffield United and says he's been "enjoying it since day one".

"I feel like I've learned every day under the manager and coaching staff," he added.

"The lads have been great with me as well. It might come as a surprise but even people like Marvin [Johnson], me and him play in the same position, but the first day I came in, he was helping me with how the gaffer wants us to play."

The 27-year-old has been utilised as a centre-back in recent weeks, as well as his usual left-back position, which he said is a new role for him but has "enjoyed learning it".

"I want to play every game I possibly can and I feel like now is a great opportunity for me to do that," he said.

"Whether it be at centre-back or left wing-back, I'm not bothered. As long as I'm on the pitch, I will give it my all.

"Hopefully we can get a run going now. We've got a lot of games at home and I think that will benefit us."

Sheffield Wednesday will look to bounce back from defeat in the Steel City derby when they welcome Cardiff City on Saturday. The Owls have been inconsistent so far this season (W5 D3 L7).

The Bluebirds arrive at Hillsborough in the relegation zone after two straight defeats having previously gone a six-game unbeaten run (W4 L2).

• Sheffield Wednesday lost both of their two league games against Cardiff City last season 2-1, having lost just one of their previous 11 against the Bluebirds (W4 D6).

• Cardiff City will look to win successive away league games against Sheffield Wednesday for the first time since 1976 after beating the Owls at Hillsborough 2-1 last season.

• Sheffield Wednesday have conceded 13 set-piece goals in the Championship this season (including penalties), four more than any other side.

• Cardiff City have lost 19 Championship matches in 2024, two more than any other side. The Bluebirds have lost each of their last two games.

• Cardiff have lost their last four Championship matches against Yorkshire teams, conceding 14 goals across these defeats.

Image source, Rex Features

Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah continued his comeback from injury by featuring for the Under-21s in their 3-2 win against Burnley on Monday.

The 29-year-old was substituted at half-time as he eases his way back from recovery for his first match since 27 August.

The Chelsea academy graduate has struggled for fitness since joining Wednesday on a free transfer in July and has only made one appearance for the senior side - as part of the starting line-up for their 5-1 EFL Cup win against Grimsby Town, where he sustained a calf injury an hour into the match.

Devlan Moses scored twice for the Owls either side of Rio Shipston's deflected strike, with the young midfielder having replaced Chalobah at the break.

Tommy McDermott and Joe Westley were on target for the Clarets at Middlewood Training Ground.

Image source, PA Media

On-loan Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Shea Charles marked his debut as captain for Northern Ireland with a 2-0 victory over Belarus on Friday.

Charles delivered an assist for Dan Ballard's 50th-minute opening goal as brother and Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles kept a third successive international clean sheet, leaving the side one point away from promotion into Nations League B.

Defender Di’Shon Bernard did not feature for Jamaica in their 1-0 loss to USA on Friday but could potentially make an appearance in the second leg of their Concacaf Nations League quarter-final on Tuesday after Everton's Mason Holgate was sent off for a second yellow card.

Meanwhile, keeper James Beadle kept his second clean sheet in a row for England Under-21's to help the Young Lions to a 0-0 draw against Spain on Friday.

Image source, Rex Features

Sheffield Wednesday forward Michael Smith's strike against Portsmouth has won him the Championship's goal of the month award for October.

Smith scored what proved to be the winner as Wednesday came from behind to beat Pompey 2-1 at Fratton Park.

The 33-year-old is in his third season at Hillsborough and the goal on the south coast was the second of three he has managed so far this season.

The Championship goal of the month award is voted for by supporters, with Smith beating two efforts from Norwich City's Borja Sainz and one from Ollie Tanner of Cardiff City.

Sheffield Wednesday's narrow 1-0 loss in the Steel City derby on Sunday sees them in 15th place in the Championship table and just three points above the relegation zone.

Speaking to the Owls Heaven podcast after the match, manager Danny Rohl talked about how some teams in the division can afford to be slightly off their game and still claim results - but it's not a luxury his side can afford.

"I look not to so often to the opponent but I count our games now: QPR, then we go to Luton, even Burnley, we go to Swansea," Rohl said. "There's always the feeling that there's more in the game.

"I think this is the difference in this league. Bring the small details or the small moments on your side, then you will win games.

"If you have a good day and everything must be 100%, we don't have one game where we can win with 80% or 85% or 90%. Some opponents have this and I understand it's the reason they are on top. We have to do everything right."

When asked about the Owls' record for conceding in the second half - of which Wednesday are the joint-worst in the Championship alongside Portsmouth and Luton with 17 - Rohl believes it's more the type of goals they are conceding than the specific timeframe that is relevant.

"I think you should speak more about the 25 goals we have conceded - this is too much, and 14 of these are set pieces. This is more the topic for me," he added.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield Wednesday's Josh Windass admits he is taking a risk by having his hair cut by his Sheffield United-supporting barber ahead of this weekend's Steel City Derby.

The midfielder will experience his first Sheffield derby at Bramall Lane on Sunday.

"My barber is a Blades fan so I'm hoping he doesn't butcher me before the weekend," Windass told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"I told him to make sure he doesn't ruin my haircut but he said he can't promise anything so we'll see how we go."

The 30-year-old played and scored for Rangers in an Old Firm derby against Celtic in 2018 and expects the experience at the weekend to be similar.

"I would compare Sheffield to Glasgow in that it's like a goldfish bowl and you're either a Wednesday fan or a United fan," Windass added.

"My goal in the Old Firm game was in a defeat so if I can score a winner in a derby then that would be amazing but the aim isn't for me to score the winner, it's for the team to win and if that comes by me then brilliant."

Despite this being the first Sheffield derby in more than five years, Windass is well aware of the intense rivalry between the two clubs.

"I've got close friends who're Wednesday fans and they're telling me they won't go to the game because it's at their stadium," he said.

"But I'm looking forward to sampling the atmosphere and if it's anything like the Old Firm then I can't wait."

You can catch Football Heaven: Steel City Derby Special on BBC iPlayer or BBC Sounds.

Former Blades manager Neil Warnock and Owls legend Chris Waddle are no strangers to the Steel City derby.

The two have been speaking on BBC Radio Sheffield's Football Heaven: Steel City Derby Special about just how much the battle for local bragging rights means to them.

"I remember people saying it's just another game and I thought 'what are they talking about?' - it's not," Warnock said.

"The rivalry - no matter what you do, whether you're bottom or top of the league, it doesn't matter in these games. It's who wants it more, who can play on the day."

As for how Sunday afternoon at Bramall Lane is going to pan out, Waddle finds his former side an unknown component in his prediction calculations.

"Going into the derby, you know what you're going to get from United. Very organised, very drilled," Waddle said.

"I don't know how Wednesday will perform, they are such an unpredictable team.

"What you are seeing from Sheffield United so far this season is consistency and I think what you've seen from Wednesday is inconsistency.

"I think if Wednesday get a draw or a win - fantastic! It'll be a great result for them."

Warnock lists United as "favourites" but feels that "Wednesday can beat anyone on their day" - though he does think that the Blades have something special up their sleeve with keeper Michael Cooper.

"For me, he should be in the Premier League and he might be next year. He's one of the best keepers I've seen," Warnock said.

You can catch Football Heaven: Steel City Derby Special in full on BBC iPlayer or BBC Sounds.

A special Sunday afternoon awaits Sheffield as the Blades host the Owls in the first Steel City derby for more than five-and-a-half years.

Join a star-studded line-up of Chris Basham, Lee Bullen, Neil Warnock and Chris Waddle as they look ahead to this weekend's showdown at Bramall Lane on BBC Radio Sheffield's Football Heaven at 18:00 GMT on Thursday.

Not in the area? No bother. You can watch and listen online on the BBC Sport website and app, on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.

Image source, BBC Sport

Sheffield Wednesday are looking to recover from their heavy 6-2 defeat at home to Watford on Saturday and have won just one of their last six games at Hillsborough (D2 L3).

Norwich City are without a win in four (D3 L1) but are still only three points behind sixth-placed West Brom. The Canaries are also the joint-highest scorers in the Championship alongside Sunderland with 23 goals.

• Sheffield Wednesday are winless in their last six league games against Norwich City (D2 L4) since hammering them 5-1 in May 2018.

• Since their last goalless league draw at Hillsborough in October 2014, Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich have shared 23 goals in the five league games there since (4.6 per game).

• Sheffield Wednesday haven't lost a home league game in midweek since April 2021 against Swansea (W11 D7 since), with five of their last six such games ending in a draw.

• Norwich have won just one of their last seven midweek league games (D3 L3), with each of their last three ending in a draw.

• Norwich's Borja Sainz has been involved in three goals in his two previous Championship appearances against Sheffield Wednesday (2 goals, 1 assist), all of which came last season.

Image source, Rex Features

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