Sheffield Wednesday risk doing something they have not done this century vs Derby County
Sheffield Wednesday will be going in search of a first Championship home win of the season against Derby County on Monday night.
Sheffield Wednesday will be targeting a first Championship victory since September when they welcome Derby County to Hillsborough this evening.
The Owls, who have won each of their last three meetings with the Rams, extended their winless run to 13 matches last time out after drawing 1-1 with Watford at Vicarage Road. Charlie McNeill’s first half effort looked as though it was going to be enough for the Owls to scoop all three points, but Vivaldo Semedo squeezed in a last-gasp equaliser to earn the hosts a point.
Although it was a gut-wrenching conclusion for the Owls in Hertfordshire, their performance certainly featured plenty of positives. They defended heroically throughout the evening and were unfortunate to concede with less than ten seconds left on the clock.
Ahead of their tussle with John Eustace’s Rams in S6, here are five pre-match talking points:
A straight swap at right wing-back?
For the first time since their 1-0 defeat to Hull City in April, Wednesday’s starting XI this evening will not feature Yan Valery. The utility player, who has been a solid performer for the Owls this season, is unavailable for selection after Tunisia blocked him from delaying his arrival into their camp ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign.
The former Southampton man, who has spent the bulk of his time in midfield so far this season, started at right wing-back against Watford, providing the cross that led to McNeill scoring the game’s opening goal.
His absence for the visit of Derby means Sean Fusire is the most logical replacement. Like Valery, Fusire has been called-up for the AFCON, but Zimbabwe have given him permission to face the Rams before linking up with his international colleagues.
Fusire came on at half-time against Watford last Tuesday night, replacing Barry Bannan at the break, and immediately went to right wing-back. He is the natural alternative to Valery to fill that void, but exactly who will deputise come the weekend’s trip to Ipswich Town remains to be seen.
Anxious wait on Bannan
Forced off against Watford at half-time with a groin issue, all eyes will be on Wednesday’s social media channels at 6.45pm this evening to see if Bannan has been deemed fit enough to be involved. The Scot did not appear to be his usual self in the first half at Vicarage Road, playing a crop of passes that uncharacteristically went astray, and the plot thickened when he did not reappear for the second half.
Owls manager Henrik Pedersen conducted his pre-Derby press conference immediately after the draw at Watford, meaning he has not spoken to the media since last Tuesday night to issue an update on the Wednesday captain. However, The Star, on Saturday, reported he had not been ruled out of the clash with the Rams, offering a ray of hope he could play some part.
Like Valery, Bannan has started every game for Wednesday in the Championship this season, meaning the prospect of him missing out on a starting berth would present the Owls with a fresh challenge. All Wednesdayites can do is keep their fingers and toes crossed that he has recovered in time.
Searching for a rare win
Semedo’s last-gasp leveller for Watford at Vicarage Road last Tuesday night means the Owls head into tonight’s tussle 13 Championship matches without a win. Wednesday last scooped three points on September 20, beating Portsmouth 2-0 at Fratton Park.
It is no secret why Wednesday have struggled so far this season and already have one foot in League One, but there is still a hunger within the camp to get wins on the board, particularly at Hillsborough. The Owls are without a win at home so far this season, losing eight and drawing two of their first ten Championship home games, and have won just twice on home soil in 2025.
Wednesday’s 13-game winless run means they have equalled their winless run at the start of the 2023/24 season. However, failure to beat Derby this evening will see the Owls go 14 games without a win in the Championship (since the EFL restructure in 2004/05) for the very first time.
In fact, Wednesday have never gone as many as 14 league games without a win this century.
Derby’s away record
Derby will make the relatively short trip to Hillsborough tonight targeting a fourth win in five away games. The Rams have enjoyed some impressive away results recently, beating Sheffield United (3-1), Blackburn Rovers (2-1) and Swansea City (2-1), meaning they will fancy their chances of adding another three points to their tally.
Losing to only Middlesbrough, who are flourishing under new boss Kim Hellberg, on the road since the start of November, the Rams have left their calling card on their travels. They have won 14 points from their opening nine away games this season, meaning a victory at Hillsborough will move them onto 17 points won on their travels - a record that can only be bettered by Coventry City (21) and Middlesbrough (19) this term.
With that in mind, the Rams will fancy their chances of getting the better of a Wednesday side that is still searching for its first home win of the season. Derby, though, have lost their last three visits to Hillsborough.
Familiar faces
Tonight’s tussle will see Wednesday defender Max Lowe go up against former club Derby for the fourth time in his career. He came through the Rams’ academy and graduated to the first-team in 2013. He made 48 appearances for the Rams before moving to Sheffield United in 2020.
Since leaving Pride Park, Lowe has gone up against his former club on three occasions and has been on the winning side each time, with two of those victories coming in Wednesday colours last season. He will be hoping to preserve his 100 per cent record against his former club and help Wednesday clinch a rare win tonight.