Sheffield Wednesday will be without a key player when they take on West Brom in the Championship this weekend.
On Saturday lunchtime, current league leaders West Brom head to Hillsborough, where they take on a Sheffield Wednesday side currently sitting in 21st place of the Championship table.
Last season, Sheffield Wednesday beat West Brom 3-0 at home. It was a monumental win on their way to achieving Championship safety, but one that’s going to be hard to replicate this weekend.
Both teams signed a number of new players in the summer and both are in very differing veins of form right now, with the Owls winless in their last five in the Championship.
Speaking to the press ahead of the weekend, Danny Rohl discussed a number of things, sharing the latest team news on his side.
Dominic Iorfa could make his return to action after missing the last few weeks, whilst Nathaniel Chalobah remains sidelined.
Rohl also confirmed that Di’Shon Bernard will miss the game through suspension.
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Di’Shon Bernard set to miss West Brom clash
Bernard was controversially sent off vs Luton Town for an alleged handball, though replays suggest that the ball actually hit Bernard’s shoulder.
Sheffield Wednesday appealed the decision but failed in doing so, and so Bernard will be suspended for the game vs West Brom this weekend.
With Iorfa facing a late fitness call, it leaves Rohl even lighter at centre-back; a position he’s already light on.
Having played a back-five in the last two games, and having looked much better for doing so, expect Rohl to keep the same shape.
But personnel at centre-back will certainly be an issue.
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Potential chance for Sheffield Wednesday gem Gabriel Otegbayo vs West Brom
As it stands, Rohl’s fit and available centre-back options going into the weekend are Liam Palmer, Akin Famewo, and Michael Ihiekwe, with Ihiekwe the only natural centre-back.
That could prompt Rohl to bring academy gem Gabriel Otegbayo onto the bench for the West Brom game, or even into the XI.
Neither Ihiekwe nor Famewo have been overly-impressive so far this season and whilst West Brom would be a tough game to throw Otegbayo in for his Championship debut, he’s done similar before.
Bailey Cadamarteri was handed his first league start vs Leicester City last season when the Foxes were the runaway leaders at the top of the table.
Rohl was impressed by Otegbayo vs Blackpool and so he may well be in the thinking for this weekend, and if he features either off the bench or from the start, it would be a huge chance to impress.