EFL make official decision ahead of Derby County vs Sheffield Wednesday

The EFL have confirmed that John Busby will referee Sheffield Wednesday’s clash against Derby County this weekend. The Owls face the Rams at Pride Park on Sunday afternoon as they look to build some momentum.

The game kicks-off at 3pm and Mark Russell and Robert Hyde are the assistant referees. Meanwhile, Anthony Backhouse is the fourth official official.

Sheffield Wednesday will head into the match in confident mood after their win last time out. They won 2-0 away at Hull City at the MKM Stadium on Tuesday night after goals by Josh Windass and Michael Smith.

The Owls are currently sat in 13th place in the Championship table as they look to hit some consistent form this winter. They are five points off the play-offs and seven off the relegation zone.

Speaking ahead of their fixture against Derby, Sheffield Wednesday's Shea Charles, who is on loan from Southampton in the Premier League, has said: “I feel really positive about it, I’ve played every league game since I’ve been here. We’re in a strong position and hopefully we can have a good run of games now. We’re always trying to close the gap. The Championship is tight all the time and if you pick up wins you can move up.”

He has recently captained the Northern Ireland national team and added: “Playing week in, week out will always give you a better chance. The manager has been really good with me, it really suits me and I’ve enjoyed it so far. It was a proud moment for me and Pierce was walking out behind me as well, it was really good.

“It’s a huge honour, I didn’t expect to be captain so soon. Jonny Evans retiring has given us the opportunity and it came to me in the last camp, my mum and dad were very proud of me as well. I’m so happy for Pierce as well, coming into the national team, he got his chance and kept his spot and he helps us a lot in the way we play. We won 5-0 against Bulgaria and a lot of that was him, even with him being at the back, the way he plays makes it easier for us.”

Derby head into the clash on the back of their 2-1 loss at home to Swansea City last time out. The Rams were promoted from League One last term along with Portsmouth and Oxford United.

Their manager Paul Warne has said: “I've been really impressed (with Sheffield Wednesday), as everybody has, as their fans have. I've watched Sheffield Wednesday play live four times this year. And they sing the manager's name win, lose or draw. And they're a knowledgeable fan base. And they're really impressed with him. So, that's probably the best way I can talk about how well he's done.

“They've made a couple of really good signings, and they’ve strengthened. They're more athletic than they were previously, which causes problems in every league, but even more so in this league.”