Sheffield Wednesday can do something for the first time in 12 years vs Wycombe Wanderers
Five pre-match talking points ahead of Sheffield Wednesday’s League One clash with Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park on Tuesday night.
Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping to continue their solid start to the 2026/27 campaign when they face Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park this evening.
The Owls, who have won their last two meetings with the Chairboys, got back to winning ways in spectacular fashion on Saturday, hammering Bromley 7-2 at Hillsborough, thanks to goals from Jamal Lowe (2), Louie Barry (2), Callum Slattery, Mason Burstow and Gabriel Otegbayo.
Although it was as dominant a Wednesday victory as Hillsborough had witnessed in years, manager Henrik Pedersen expressed some post-match frustration at his side’s failure to keep a clean sheet, meaning he will be hoping to see further improvements this evening.
Ahead of the trip to Buckinghamshire, here are five pre-match talking points:
Any changes?
Following Saturday’s win over Bromley, Owls boss Pedersen reported yet more concerning injury news, confirming that both Ricardo Santos and Barry Bannan had been forced off with ankle concerns.
Santos, who was making his first league start for the Owls, was substituted at half-time and replaced by Otegbayo, while Bannan was taken off just past the hour mark and replaced by Liverpool loanee Kieran Morrison. Although the Dane stopped short of ruling either player out of the clash with Wycombe, it remains to be seen whether they will be involved.
Wednesday are unlikely to take any unnecessary risks with Santos, given their current lack of depth at centre-back, meaning Otegbayo could be recalled to the starting XI. Wednesday, too, will not want to take any risks with Bannan, but the Scot has demonstrated throughout his Owls career that it takes a lot to keep him out of the team.
Outside of those two elements of uncertainty, it is hard to see where else Pedersen could make changes given the quality of Saturday’s performance. The front four were excellent against Bromley, meaning Morrison might have to settle for a place on the bench once again.
New signing Jaden Heskey, whose return to Hillsborough was confirmed earlier today, could be included in the matchday squad.
Searching for momentum
If a 7-2 victory, regardless of the opponent, does not give you confidence, nothing will. After defeats to Bradford City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wednesday went into their clash with Bromley with a little bit of pressure beginning to creep in.
However, they blew the Ravens away with a scintillating performance, inspired by the brilliance of their attackers. Having won six points from the first nine on offer, Wednesday, considering the number of changes that have taken place at Hillsborough this summer, should be encouraged by their start.
A start, though, is all it is. Pedersen knows he and his team still have plenty to work on if they are to push for an immediate return to the Championship this season.
After being so used to losing matches last season, Wednesday now have to get used to winning them again. Momentum is a wonderful thing in football, particularly in League One, where the games come thick and fast, and the opportunity to put another three points on the board is one the Owls will be hoping to take full advantage of.
Eyeing another away win
If Wednesday do get another three points on the board this evening, it will see them record back-to-back league wins in the same campaign for the first time since March 2025. On that occasion, they recorded back-to-back away wins in a matter of days, beating Plymouth Argyle 3-0 at Home Park before coming from behind to beat Norwich City 3-2.
Wednesday made a winning start on the road this season, of course, winning 2-1 at Leyton Orient last month, and they will be determined to get another three points on the board away from home this evening.
Should Pedersen’s troops get the job done at Adams Park and return to South Yorkshire with all three points, it will mark the first time since the 2014/15 campaign that Wednesday have won their opening two away league games. Twelve years ago, after beating Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 at the Amex Stadium on the opening day of the season, the Owls then won 3-2 at Middlesbrough in their second away game.
Under the stewardship of Stuart Gray, Wednesday won three of their first four away league games that season.
Wycombe’s start
Wednesday and Wycombe go into tonight’s game on the back of contrasting results. While the Owls put Bromley to the sword on Saturday, Wycombe were blown away by Stockport County, losing 5-1 at Edgeley Park.
Although that marked their first League One defeat of the season, they are still searching for their first victory after drawing their opening two games against Blackpool (1-1) and Plymouth Argyle (1-1), respectively. Earning just two points from their first three matches has left them sitting inside the relegation zone at this very early stage of the season.
Traditionally, Adams Park has always been a tough place for visiting teams to head to, meaning Wednesday should not underestimate the Chairboys despite their slow start to the season. They finished 11th last season and are expected to look up rather than down this term.
However, either side of the summer, Wycombe have won just one of their last nine league matches, meaning they will be determined to turn their form around sooner rather than later.
Lowe’s record vs Wycombe
Having scored three goals in three League One appearances so far this season, Lowe currently finds himself joint-top of the goalscoring chart. He scored either side of half-time against Bromley, meaning he will be keen to add to his tally this evening.
And if the Jamaican excels against a particular opponent, it’s Wycombe, with the 32-year-old having scored three goals and registered two assists in his five previous appearances against the Chairboys.
He has scored in each of his last three appearances against the Buckinghamshire outfit, scoring once for Portsmouth and twice for Swansea City. That run includes goals in each of his last two visits to Adams Park.