Will Jones dismissal spark an Owls revival?

02 December 2013 14:56
Wednesday Vs Leicester: Team news & preview

Sheffield Wednesday take on Leicester City at Hillsborough on Tuesday in their first fixture since the weekend dismissal of manager Dave Jones. Stuart Gray will take temporary charge of the team as they look to claw back some ground on the teams directly above the Championship relegation zone.

Wednesday started with 1 up front for the weekend defeat at Blackpool with Matt Fryatt coming off the bench. Fryatt's loan spell from Hull has now expired and so he won't be available to face his former team. Should Stuart Gray wish to start with two strikers then summer signing Atdhe Nuhiu could come back into the reckoning to provide Connor Wickham with some much needed attacking support. The Owls allowed striker Chris Maguire to join Coventry on loan last week and he promptly popped up with two goals on his debut for the League One side.

Michail Antonio missed the Blackpool defeat with injury and although the extent of his problem has not been confirmed he is likely to miss out again. Jermaine Johnson will be hoping for a recall to the starting line up after recent encouraging substitute appearances.

The Owls remain without centre-back Anthony Gardner and Kamil Zayatte through injury and it is reported that the club have signed experienced former Celtic defender Glenn Loovens though there has been no official word on whether this signing has been completed.

Goalkeeper Chris Kirkland will be hoping to regain his place having been surprisingly dropped by Dave Jones for the past two matches.

Leicester visit Hillsborough with very few injury concerns. Ireland defender Sean St Ledger is sidelined with a groin injury but that aside former Owls captain Nigel Pearson has a strong squad from which to select his team. Jamie Vardy, who represented Wednesday at junior levels has been in good goal scoring form and will be eager to impress at the home of his boyhood team.

Wednesday come into the game one place off the foot of the Championship table with just one win from 16 league matches. The Owls have lost their last 3 matches by an aggregate score of 7-1 and they are yet to keep a clean sheet this season.

By contrast Leicester are in fine form. The Foxes have won 6 of their last 7 matches and are 3 points clear at the top of the table. They have also recorded an impressive 5 wins and a draw from 8 away games so far this season.

Wednesday recorded a welcome 1-0 away win thanks to a Connor Wickham goal when the two teams last met in March but the Owls were soundly beaten 2-0 by the Foxes at Hillsborough in November last year.

 

Source: Owls-Mad

Source: FOOTYMAD