Henrik Pedersen has selection dilemma as Sheffield Wednesday face relegation reality vs Sheffield United
Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping to avoid being relegated at the hands of their arch rivals when they travel to Bramall Lane on Sunday.
Sheffield Wednesday will be desperate to avoid being officially relegated to League One at the hands of arch rivals Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Sunday lunchtime.
Following West Bromwich Albion’s 2-0 defeat to Coventry City on Saturday, the Owls now face the prospect of officially falling through the trapdoor against Chris Wilder’s side, meaning they must secure their first victory over their neighbours in 14 years to cling on for at least another few days.
Wednesday will make the short hop to S2 looking to bring their 27-game winless run in all competitions to an end, meaning the odds are stacked against them enjoying a first triumph over the Blades on their neighbours’ patch since 2009.
MORE: Sheffield Wednesday face nightmare relegation scenario vs Sheffield United after West Brom defeat
Ahead of the Owls’ trip to the red and white half of the Steel City, here are five pre-match talking points:
Wednesday on the brink
Having read the introduction to these talking points, you will know what situation Wednesday are facing ahead of their trip to the other side of the city. To avoid relegation becoming official at the hands of the Blades, Wednesday, quite simply, must win.
The Owls can still reach a maximum of 35 points, meaning they can still climb above 21st-placed West Bromwich Albion, who have 34 points, but to achieve that they must win each of their final 14 matches this term.
Considering they have won just one of their first 32 games this season, Wednesday are highly unlikely to pull off the greatest of great escapes. Nevertheless, many Wednesday supporters will be hoping they can avoid being officially sentenced to life in League One at the hands of their rivals.
MORE: 'Let's get it done' - What Seny Dieng told his agent after hearing of Sheffield Wednesday interest
Wednesday are winless in their last seven Steel City derbies, failing to score in each of those encounters. It is going to take something special for them to delay the inevitable.
Selection dilemma
Although Wednesday are not spoilt for choice in terms of options and depth, Owls manager Henrik Pedersen could find himself with a selection headache when deciding on who features in his attack.
After Manchester City loanee Joel Ndala reported late for a pre-match meeting ahead of last Saturday’s defeat to Millwall, Olaf Kobacki was handed his first start after recovering from a long-term injury - and it is fair to say he took advantage of his opportunity. He was energetic, tried to make things happen and assisted with Wednesday’s press, meaning he would be within his rights to expect to keep his place.
However, Ndala, who joined the Owls on deadline day earlier this month, offered flashes of what he could bring to the table during his full debut against Swansea City just under a fortnight ago, meaning he could be brought back into the starting line-up.
The 19-year-old, who spent time on loan at Hull City earlier this season, is quick, direct and has a trick in his locker, meaning he could be key to getting Wednesday up the pitch amid the expectation they are likely to sit in and try and catch the Blades on the break. It will be harsh on Kobacki if he is to drop out, but there would be logic behind Ndala getting the nod over him.
End the derby day goal drought
Not since Lucas João brought Wednesday level against the Blades at Hillsborough back in September 2017, making it 2-2 moments before Mark Duffy restored United’s lead, have the Owls scored against their cross-city rivals.
Going seven games without a victory against your neighbours is one thing, but going six games without a goal against them is mental torture. Scoring against your biggest rivals are the moments we all live for as football supporters.
Having experienced a miserable season in every sense, the prospect of Wednesday scoring at Bramall Lane, either to take the lead or pull themselves level, will create a rare moment of excitement. Wednesday have not scored in S2 since fighting back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with the Blades in October 2011.
Wednesday have not gone seven successive games without scoring against the same opponent since a run of seven blanks against Oxford United between 1971 and 1974, and that represented their only run of this particular nature, meaning they are in danger of equalling another unwanted club record.
Dieng’s debut
The trip to Bramall Lane will see Wednesday include a fifth different goalkeeper of the season in their starting line-up after signing Seny Dieng on an emergency loan deal from Middlesbrough on Friday. After losing on-loan QPR shot-stopper Murphy Cooper to a muscle issue, Wednesday were forced to act quickly to find a replacement.
Dieng has arrived on a seven-day loan and will be thrown straight into the starting XI amid the absence of any other senior goalkeepers. He will follow in the footsteps of Pierce Charles, Ethan Horvath, Joe Lumley and Cooper in starting between the posts this season.
The 31-year-old has brought a wealth of experience to S6, making more than 150 appearances in the Championship, meaning Wednesday will be hoping he can offer some protection to their goal in a game of such significance.
He last featured in the Championship in December 2024, starting a 3-1 defeat to Leeds United for Middlesbrough. He has not been on the losing side in any of his three previous encounters against the Blades in his career.
The formation
How Wednesday will approach this game will be very interesting to see. Few expect the Owls to arrive at Bramall Lane with the intention of taking the game to their hosts, meaning they are likely to sit deep, soak up pressure and attempt to hit them on the break.
With that approach expected, Wednesday could set up with three centre-backs, flanked by two wing-backs. The Owls have approached almost every game with a back-three this season, but they recently tested the water with a flat back-four against Swansea - an experiment that ultimately failed.
MORE: Sheffield Wednesday predicted XI vs Sheffield United as new signing starts and attacking call made
With that said, a back-three, which will become a five when Wednesday don’t have possession, is the most likely approach Pedersen is likely to adopt. However, much of it could depend on the availability of Liam Cooper.
The Owls have had to manage the experienced centre-back carefully in recent weeks, meaning there are no guarantees he will start. However, if he is deemed fit enough to take his place in the starting XI for this one, it would be no shock to see him reinstated to the team after only being deemed fit enough to start on the bench against Millwall last time out.