Owls looking for a good day at the seaside

Last updated : 18 April 2008 By C. Morris

Sheffield Wednesday travel to Blackpool on Saturday for what is a vital game for both teams at the foot of Championship table in front of a sell-out crowd.

3 points for the home side will go a long way to ensuring their safety from the threat of relegation while a win for the visitors will see them leap frog over Blackpool and put the pressure on other sides around them.

Wednesday, just for a change, have a number of fitness concerns going into the game.

Wade Small has impressed when coming on as a substitute in recent games but continues to be troubled by a hamstring strain and he faces a fitness test as do Steve Watson, Richard Hinds, Graham Kavanagh and Deon Burton.

If Burton fails to come through then loan striker Bartosz Slusarski could be in line for his first start for the Owls, against a club with whom he had a brief loan spell earlier in the season. The Polish striker has come on as a substitute in recent matches and has made a positive impact with supporters, many of whom would like to see him start regardless of the fitness of other players.

If Hinds and Watson are unavailable for selection then Peter Gilbert may continue in the right-back slot. The defender, whose preferred position is left-back, has never really been able to establish himself in the Owls first team but he put in solid performances in the recent games against Scunthorpe and Plymouth.

Blackpool have no new fresh injury concerns to contend with but manager Simon Grayson could well elect to make changes following a lacklustre display in a 3-1 defeat at Cardiff last weekend.

Former Owls full-back John Hills will not be able to face his former employees as he is ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Claus Jorgensen is in line to return to the side following injury and Paul Dickov could return to the starting eleven having recently been on the bench.

Wednesday enjoyed a 2-1 victory the last time they visited Bloomfield road in the 2004/05 league one promotion campaign but were thumped 4-1 the previous season.

The Owls have lost just one of their last thirteen fixtures but have drawn seven in succession and have only beaten Colchester in their last fourteen away league games.

Blackpool are on a run of eight games without a win but have only lost one of their last ten at home and that was to title favourites West Bromwich Albion.