What it would take for Sheffield Wednesday to return to League One’s top two today

Wednesday have had a nightmare few weeks. After going 23 league games unbeaten, finding themselves sitting pretty on top of the table, Darren Moore’s side have now won just one of their last eight games and have seen matters slip out of their own hands.

Tonight they have a chance to put right the wrongs of Saturday as they lost 3-2 to Burton Albion, going up against Joey Barton’s Rovers side who are out to try and add another scalp for the season.

Wednesday do have a chance of returning to the top two tonight, but it relies almost entirely on results elsewhere – even if the Owls pick up all three points at the Memorial Stadium they need favours from a couple of other clubs in the league.

Top-of-the-table Plymouth Argyle travel to Shrewsbury Town and second-placed Ipswich Town face Port Vale at home. Both would need to drop points for Wednesday to regain top spot going into their final three matches.

Should either team draw or lose then an Owls win would return them into the automatic promotion places, a win for either guarantees that they’ll head into the weekend either first or second.

The Pilgrims and the Tractor Boys both have a game in hand, so even a return to the top two doesn’t put it back in their hands, but it would certainly be a welcome boost.

Given Ipswich’s superior goal difference, a point wouldn’t be enough for Wednesday to go second even if they were surprisingly beaten by Vale – so for Moore’s side the message is clear. Only three points will do.

The Owls do have a better goal difference than Plymouth, though, so a draw in Shrewsbury coupled with a Wednesday victory would see the men in green leapfrogged.

If you can’t attend tonight’s game it will be available to stream live on iFollow.