Sports Mole previews Saturday’s Championship clash between Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol City, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
One of the Championship’s four remaining unbeaten sides will take on one of its five winless teams on Saturday, as Bristol City travel to take on Sheffield Wednesday.
On the return from the September international break, the hosts sit 23rd on a single point, while their visitors have kicked off with two victories and two draws.
Match preview
Sheffield Wednesday head back into Championship action at Hillsborough on Saturday in search of a first league victory of what has already been a testing season on and off the pitch.
Due to ongoing off-field issues, the Owls headed into the 2025-26 term with a thin and inexperienced squad under the new management of Henrik Pedersen, and they have only managed one point from their four games thus far, albeit while progressing to the EFL Cup third-round with draws and penalty shootout wins against Bolton Wanderers and Leeds United.
After beginning in England’s second tier with losses to Leicester City and Stoke City, the South Yorkshire outfit earned their first point in a 2-2 draw away at Wrexham, having come from 2-0 down to share the points thanks to goals from Barry Bannan and Bailey Cadamarteri in the final 30 minutes, but they were unable to build on that encouraging result last time out before the international break.
Swansea City visited Hillsborough and left with all three points from a 2-0 victory, as Zan Vipotnik opened the scoring early in the second half and Ronald put the game out of sight nine minutes from time.
Now picking back up their campaign having again been limited for transfer additions, Sheffield Wednesday will bid to put a first notch in their wins column in the league on Saturday.
They face a tough test, though, as the visitors arrive hoping to keep their unbeaten record in tact and record a third league of the season on their return from the break.
After last season’s playoff semi-final defeat and the departure of Liam Manning, Bristol City turned to Gerhard Struber over the summer, and he has overseen a positive start, earning eight points from their first four outings.
They began with an eye-catching 4-1 triumph away at promotion-hopefuls Sheffield United, who dumped the Robins out of last season’s playoffs, before sharing points in draws with Charlton Athletic and Derby County and exiting the EFL Cup at the hands of Fulham.
Seeking to get back to winning ways before the first international break of the term, Struber’s men hosted Hull City last time out and prevailed in a 4-2 triumph, having come from behind to lead 4-1 through an Emil Riis Jakobsen brace and goals from Anis Mehmeti and Max Bird before Kyle Joseph netted an injury-time consolation for the visitors.
Now returning to action from the two-week break, Bristol City will bid to pick up where they left off and move onto 11 points for the campaign with what would be another fruitful visit to the Steel City after their opening-day win at Bramall Lane.
Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:
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Sheffield Wednesday form (all competitions):
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Bristol City Championship form:
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Bristol City form (all competitions):
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Team News
Sheffield Wednesday’s thin squad remains further damaged by several injury issues, with goalkeeper Pierce Charles, defender Di’Shon Bernard and midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah confined to the treatment room.
In the absence of Charles, the Owls were able to complete the emergency loan signing of Ethan Horvath, and he will continue between the sticks, while Yan Valery and Max Lowe could again join Dominic Iorfa in a back three.
Ike Ugbo will compete for an attacking spot after Charlie McNeill supported Jamal Lowe and Bailey Cadamarteri before the break, while Harry Amass could earn an Owls debut following his deadline day loan arrival from Manchester United.
Bristol City remain without goalkeeper Max O’Leary, defenders Cameron Pring and Luke McNally and midfielder Joe Williams for their trip to Hillsborough due to ongoing injuries.
Gerhard Struber should field the same starting XI from their 4-2 beating of Hull City before the break, with Zak Vyner, Rob Dickie and Rob Atkinson forming a back three in front of Manchester United loanee Radek Vitek between the sticks.
Emil Riis Jakobsen will continue up front, having opened his account for the Robins with a brace in that game after his summer arrival, while Anis Mehmeti and Scott Twine are danger men in support, with the former already notching up three goals in four league games this term.
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Horvath; Valery, Iorfa, Lowe; Palmer, Ingelsson, Bannan, Amass; McNeill; Cadamarteri, Ugbo
Bristol City possible starting lineup:
Vitek; Vyner, Dickie, Atkinson; Sykes, Knight, Randell, McCrorie; Twine, Riis, Mehmeti
We say: Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Bristol City
Sheffield Wednesday have fought valiantly in spite of their issues thus far, but we can only see their thin and young squad falling short against a talented Bristol City side growing in confidence under Gerhard Struber.
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