Source: FOOTYMAD
Defensive difficulties as Owls head south
Charlton Vs Wednesday: Team news & Preview Sheffield Wednesday visit the capital for the first time this season on Saturday to face fellow promotion hopefuls Charlton Athletic. The Owls travel to the Valley with a depleted defence due to the suspension of captain Darren Purse who serves a one-match ban for racking up five yellow cards. Right-back Jon Otsemobor is also still unavailable as his ban for his dismissal at Yeovil a fortnight ago continues. Tommy Spurr may come into the back four and Richard Hinds is also an option for Alan Irvine to consider. Wednesday recovered to earn a 1-1 draw at home to Bournemouth last weekend after a very poor first half display and the impact that substitutes Neil Mellor and Gary Teale made in turning the performance around may earn them a recall to the starting line up. Winger Jermaine Johnson was absent for personal reasons last time out but is thought to be available again. Charlton are without former Sheffield United winger Kyel Reid as he recently suffered an ankle injury but they are not short of options in attack. Joe Anyinsah scored on his first start in a month in last weekend’s 4-3 win at Carlisle and is likely to keep his place alongside fellow summer transfer window acquisition Paul Benson in the Addicks front line. That would mean ex-Owls striker Akpo Sodje may have to settle for a place on the bench as would Pawel Abbott. Athletic may have a strong attack but have struggled at the back despite having experienced players such as Christian Dailly, Gary Doherty and Jonathan Fortune at their disposal. Despite not being at their best Wednesday are unbeaten in their last six matches in all competitions and have won their last two away games without conceding a goal. Charlton’s form has been more inconsistent of late, winning three and losing two of their last six games. They have only lost one of six league games at the Valley this season but that defeat did come in their last home match, a crushing 4-0 setback against table topping Brighton. The two teams last met in January of last year when the Owls ran out 4-1 winners at Hillsborough in a Championship clash. Wednesday also won the game at the Valley earlier that season, recovering from a goal down to post a 2-1 victory. The Owls boast a slightly better record than the Addicks in total encounters between the two sides but in 22 clashes in the capital the home side have won half of these with Wednesday winning on 6 occasions.
