Foxes Vs Owls: Team news

Last updated : 11 December 2009 By C. Morris

Sheffield Wednesday travel to Leicester City on Saturday looking to take advantage of a recent dip in the home sides form in order to put an end to their own wretched run of results.

Wednesday make the trip to the midlands without midfielder Tommy Miller, who remains sidelined due to a hamstring injury.

Striker Francis Jeffers will also be unavailable as he nurses an injury and fellow striker Akpo Sodje has had his loan spell at Charlton extended for another month despite the fact that the Owls have failed to score in almost 5 league matches.

Wednesday reverted to a 4-3-3 formation in midweek and looked fairly solid defensively but failed to overly trouble Doncaster going forward and so if there are to be changes to the personnel it is more likely to be in midfield/attacking areas. Loan signings Tom Soares and Warren Feeney are both still looking for their first starts since joining the club and will be in contention. Michael Gray found himself on the bench on Tuesday night and will be hoping for a recall but Sean McAllister was one of the Owls better performers at the Keepmoat and will be looking to keep his place in the side. Wingers Jermaine Johnson and Etienne Esajas have both struggled to find any real consistency in their game this season and if given the chance they must grasp the opportunity if either is to go a sustained run in the team.

Leicester City will be without young loam striker Martyn Waghorn for the visit of the struggling Owls. The on loan Sunderland front man was sent off in the Foxes midweek home defeat to Bristol City and therefore serves a suspension.

As a result top scorer Matty Fryatt is likely to return to the starting line up having had to settle for a place on the bench against Bristol and Steve Howard who has been a thorn in the side of the Owls for a number of clubs in the past will also be in contention for a starting berth.

Experienced midfielder Stephen Clemence in likely to remain on the sidelines having only recently returned to training following a long injury lay off but former Doncaster midfielder Richie Wellens is expected to pull the strings for the home side in the middle of the park.

Wednesday come into the game desperately looking to address a run of form that has seen them lose 3 in succession and they haven’t won in the last 8 matches. Wednesday’s last away win came back in October at Plymouth and was their only league victory on their travels so far this season.

Newly promoted Leicester enjoyed a fine start to the season on their return to the Championship but have also come into a poor run of results of late, losing back to back league matches for the first time this season and picking up just 1 win in the last 5 attempts and as a result they have slipped out of the play-off places.

The last meeting between the 2 sides was a memorable one for the Owls faithful. With both clubs struggling at the foot of the Championship table in 2008 Wednesday travelled to the Walkers stadium and beat the Foxes 3-1 in the penultimate game of the season with Leon Clarke scoring a sublime chip late on to the delight of the mass travelling support. The victory meant that Wednesday had their destiny in their own hands going into the final game of the season and Leicester could not avoid relegation as they failed to beat Stoke City in their final match. The Owls also enjoyed an excellent 4-1 away win at Leicester the previous season but were beaten 2-0 away in their first season back in the Championship in 2005.