Sheffield Wednesday travel to Derby County in the Championship on Sunday afternoon, in a game that seems perfectly set up for one Owls star to steal the show.
Sheffield Wednesday are back on the road on Sunday. Danny Rohl and his side make the short-ish trip to Derby County for an exciting mid-table clash in the Championship.
Going into this one, the Owls have had an extra day’s rest. Sheffield Wednesday beat Hull City 2-0 on Tuesday night whilst Derby lost 2-1 at home to Swansea City on Wednesday night.
The Owls’ win at Hull leaves them in 13th place of the Championship table as things stand – two points and two places above the Rams in 15th.
Former Rotherham United boss Paul Warne will be looking to get one over his old South Yorkshire foes Wednesday this weekend, but his side have shown a few cracks in recent weeks, no less against Swansea in midweek.
Key Derby County flaw exposed vs Swansea City in midweek
Much to the surprise of Derby County fans, Warne made six changes to the side to face Swansea City on Wednesday night.
That included starting midfielder Liam Thompson on the bench. But the changes clearly didn’t work, especially so in midfield.
Rams expert Ed Dawes writes for BBC that ‘Derby seem to be lacking a controller in midfield’ and that Swansea ‘bypassed the Rams midfield, pressed high in attack and crowded the final third’, outing Matt Grimes as a key performer in the midfield for Swansea.
Depending on whether or not Thompson starts on Sunday, and what changes to the personnel and formation Warne makes against Wednesday, the game at Pride Park this weekend could be tailor-made for Owls captain Barry Bannan to steal the show.
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Why Barry Bannan could prove extra vital in Sheffield Wednesday clash vs Derby County
Bannan is an important player in every game for Sheffield Wednesday, with his performances this season proving that he only gets better with age.
On Tuesday, Bannan shone for Sheffield Wednesday against Hull City. Like Grimes against Derby County, Bannan ran the show with his tidy passing, and if Derby are lacking in midfield on Sunday then Bannan will surely make them pay.
Shea Charles could also play a key role. He’s good at taking the ball forward whereas Bannan is more of the passer, so for the Wednesday, exploiting any potential weakness in Derby’s midfield will be key on Sunday.
Kick off is at 3pm on Sunday afternoon.