Birmingham City fixture might have come at a perfect time for Sheffield Wednesday's players amid wages chaos
Sheffield Wednesday take on Birmingham City at St Andrew’s in the Championship on Tuesday night.
Sheffield Wednesday will be going in search of back-to-back Championship away wins when they travel to St Andrew’s to face Birmingham City tonight.
The Owls, whose preparations for the tussle with the Blues have been overshadowed by the news players have not received their September salaries on time, will be hoping to extend their unbeaten run in the Championship to three matches.
Wednesday secured their first home point of the season on Saturday, drawing 1-1 with QPR, and will now be hoping to record a second successive away win against last term’s League One champions, following their 2-0 triumph over Portsmouth at Fratton Park in their last away game.
Ahead of the clash with Chris Davies’ side, here are five pre-match talking points:
More financial woes
As reported by The Star on Monday afternoon, Wednesday’s senior players were advised ahead of payday (today) they were not to expect prompt payment of their September salaries. The Owls are currently in a state of financial ruin, so much so non-football employees were warned they would only receive a part-payment of their September salaries.
With Wednesday’s players taking to the field this evening, it will be intriguing to see what sort of mindset they approach the game with. It is only natural that frustrations within the camp will be brewing.
Manager Henrik Pedersen, who has informed the club he does not want to receive any of his salary until every other member of staff is paid, will no doubt be trying to keep things as normal as possible for his players, but the current off-field issues could easily play their part tonight.
On the flip side, though, a game could be just what Wednesday’s players need in a bid to take their minds off the current off-field shenanigans.
Birmingham’s home record
If Wednesday are to make it back-to-back away wins tonight, they are going to have to become the first visiting team to St Andrew’s since April last year to leave with all three points. The Blues are a whopping 28 league games unbeaten on their own patch, last experiencing a home defeat in the league against Cardiff City on April 10, 2024.
The Blues made St Andrew’s the ultimate fortress during their League One title-winning campaign last term, winning 19 and drawing four of their 23 home league games. Their only home defeats came against Premier League sides Fulham and Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup respectively.
Port Vale have won at St Andrew’s this season, winning 1-0 in the second round of the Carabao Cup last month, meaning nothing is impossible. The Blues have taken seven points from their first home three league games this term and are yet to concede a goal from open play.
Ugbo to return?
The last time Wednesday faced Birmingham, Ike Ugbo, who was on loan at Hillsborough at the time, scored his first goals for the club to help them seal a 2-0 win at Hillsborough in February 2024.
It marked the beginning of a purple patch for the Canadian, who scored six goals in five games. However, since that lucrative run, he has scored just one Championship goal for Wednesday - and that was back in April 2024.
He has been in and out of the team so far this season, recently watching youngster George Brown start ahead of him. However, with Wednesday in the midst of a three-game week and Pedersen almost certainly having to manage Brown’s load carefully as he continues to adjust to life as a Championship footballer, Ugbo might be in with a chance of a recall.
Weaver watch
After securing his second successive Championship start against QPR, talented centre-back Ernie Weaver was forced off with a little under 15 minutes remaining and was replaced by Gabriel Otegbayo. Pedersen confirmed after the game he believed it was a recurring issue with the defender’s foot, but he was unable to offer a firm prognosis.
The Owls boss said: “I don’t know. I heard it was his foot again, where he had some problems, but I have not heard anything yet.”
With Pedersen having not spoken to the media since, with pre-Birmingham questions put to him immediately after the draw with QPR, it remains to be seen if Weaver will be available for selection. If he is not, the chances are Otegbayo will replace him.
Strong midweek record
Although Wednesday will head into tonight’s game as underdogs, just as they have done in every other game they have played so far this season, the Owls currently boast an impressive midweek record in the Championship.
Impressively, Wednesday have lost just one of their last 13 midweek fixtures to have been played on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday - a 1-0 home defeat to Blackburn Rovers last December. The Owls have won two of their last three midweek away games in the league, beating Swansea City 1-0 in February and Norwich City 3-2 in March.