Owls Vs Villa: Team news & preview
Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa go head to head at Hillsborough on Saturday with both sides looking for a win that will maintain their push for a play-off place. Wednesday are unbeaten in 12 and have only lost once in the league since mid-December but they are 4 points behind 6th-placed Villa going into the game and know that a defeat would all but end their hopes of a top-six finish.
Steve Bruce is likely to be boosted by the return of top-scorer Steven Fletcher. The Scotland international missed last weekends 0-0 draw at Stoke due to injury. Fellow forwards Fernando Forestieri, Sam Winnall and Gary Hooper are also expected to be in the squad but full-back Achraf Lazaar is not yet ready to return from a hamstring injury and fellow on-loan Newcastle player Rolando Aarons is also struggling having been pulled out of the side during the warm-up last Saturday.
Villa continue to be without the services of midfielder Tom Carroll, who has now returned to parent-club Swansea City for further rehabilitation on a hip injury. Defenders James Chester, Tommy Elphick and Alan Hutton are all said to be closing in on a return to action following injury lay-offs.
The Owls have drawn 6 and won 6 of their last 12 matches while Villa come into the game having won their previous 5 matches including victory in their local derby with Birmingham and wins against fellow play-off chasers Middlesbrough, Derby and Nottingham Forest.
Wednesday won 2-1 at Villa Park back in September - when Steve Bruce was managing the home side, but the Owls have only won one of their last 5 home games against Villa, losing the other 4, including a 4-2 defeat last season.