Sheffield Wednesday host Wigan Athletic at Hillsborough on Saturday as they look to end a run of 10 league games without victory. Although they have only lost 3 of those 10 matches the winless run had eroded the positive start to the season that the Owls enjoyed and a defeat against the Lancashire strugglers would see them pulled closer to the relegation zone.
Stuart Gray is without the services of midfielder Giles Coke who faces around a month on the sidelines due to an Achilles injury. Fellow midfielder Lewis McGugan could make his Hillsborough debut having made the first start of his loan spell in the 0-0 draw at Huddersfield last weekend.
Stuart Gray will have taken encouragement from how his side played at Huddersfield despite again failing to find the net but he will be forced into at least one change to his starting line up with Gary Taylor-Fletcher having returned to Leicester City following the end of his loan spell. Atdhe Nuhiu and Chris Maguire will be hoping to return to the first 11.
Wigan travel to Hillsborough for Malky Mackay's second game in charge since his controversial appointment by Dave Whelan. Latics chairman Whelan now has an F.A. Charge to answer to following comments made last week.
The visitors will be without midfielder Don Cowie due to a back injury but other than that Mackay has a fully fit squad to select from. Former Owls loan keeper Scott Carson is expected to start in goal and with the likes of Ben Watson, James McClean, Shaun Maloney and Callum McManaman to pick from the Latics are not short of ability.
They have been unable to translate their strong squad on paper into results so far this season and since beating Birmingham 4-0 at the end of August they have only won once in 13 attempts though that win was an impressive one, away at promotion contenders Derby County. Mackay's first game in charge resulted in a creditable 1-1 draw against high-flying Middlesbrough last weekend.
The two sides faced each other for the first time ever in the football league last season with Wigan running out winners home and away with the Owls failing to score on both occasions.