One Sheffield Wednesday player shone against Cardiff City the last time they met, and Danny Rohl may want to hand him a rare start this weekend.
Sheffield Wednesday have a tough Championship clash coming up on Saturday, with Cardiff City visiting Hillsborough.
For Danny Rohl, the visit of Cardiff feels like a must win game given the Bluebirds’ poor league position right now.
They sit in 22nd place of the Championship table compared to the Owls in 15th, having lost their last two in the league.
Last time the teams met, Sheffield Wednesday thumped Cardiff City 4-0 in the FA Cup, though Cardiff did win both their league fixtures against Wednesday last season.
In that 4-0 win, goals came from Josh Windass, Liam Palmer, Mallik Wilks, as well as an own goal, and it was a game in which Palmer shone.
The Owls legend scored and assisted in that game. But the 32-year-old is playing a more rotational role this season.
Danny Rohl must consider Liam Palmer start amid Yan Valery struggles at Sheffield Wednesday
So far this season, Palmer has started just five games in the Championship, having made 11 total appearances in the league.
Last time round, Palmer made 32 Championship appearances, scoring a couple of vital goals in the run-in as well.
He’s lost his place in the XI to summer signing Yan Valery who’s faced criticism from Sheffield Wednesday fans in recent weeks, with Pol Valentin a close second-choice.
It leaves Palmer playing a utility role for the Owls. But given his strong performance in the last outing against Cardiff City, and Valery’s inconsistent performances, Palmer could be a good option to start.
Valery could even play in the middle if Di’Shon Bernard isn’t fit to start following his international travels during the November break.
Yan Valery and Sheffield Wednesday teammate one yellow card away from suspension
There might be added reason for Rohl to deploy Palmer on Saturday, and indeed in the next few weeks, given the fact that Valery is one yellow card away from suspension.
The Tunisian has four more games to get through without picking up another yellow before the count resets.
The same applies to Bernard who is also on four yellow cards in the Championship this season. So over the next four games, starting with the Cardiff City clash, Rohl might want to give Palmer some minutes.
He could also bring a bit of much-needed stability during this inconsistent run of form for the Owls, and his defensive consistency would be an upgrade on Valery who’s made a couple of crucial mistakes in recent weeks.