Sheffield Wednesday host Sunderland in the Sky Bet Championship. Last time out Sunderland won 3-1 away to Norwich and Wednesday drew 1-1 at home to QPR. Sheffield Wednesday head coach Carlos Carvalhal could be forced to make changes to his side but wouldn't reveal whether the enforced exile of striker Forestieri from the matchday squad would be extended beyond one game. Wednesday will wait until tomorrow before deciding if Glenn Loovens will make the team for the visit of Simon Grayson's side. Sam Hutchinson also had a knee injury which forced him off early in Saturday's game and while it is not as serious as first feared, the midfielder won’t be available tomorrow night. There is a doubt over Steven Fletcher who also has a knee injury. Simon Grayson: "Obviously when you defend well and then take your chances really well to go 3-0 up, you have got to be absolutely delighted. "We were disciplined and well organised, sitting back and letting them have the ball in certain areas and then moving in when we had to. "I was also really pleased with the finishing. Lewis is always going to cause sides problems and at this level” "It's a great win and it has been a strong-ish start for us - but that's all it is, a good start, and no-one is getting carried away. "What has happened here is in the past - it's all about what happens in the future now and what I will say is that I have got a good, hard-working group here - it's a working class city and that's what the people demand." Carvalhal: "Fernando Forestieri was involved all the time, He is training with the team, I don't want to talk too much about that. It's a general situation and I explained things happen in football, we have rules like the red card, like traffic rules when you do something you can't do.” "It's nothing different than what happens in other clubs. When we decide to play him he will play if we don't decide to play him he won't play." The skipper took a kick in the back while attempting to keep out QPR's goal at the weekend and Carvalhal said Loovens is still in pain. "Today is much better, let's see tomorrow if he's much, much better," said Carvalhal. "If the game was today he couldn't play. Tomorrow, let's see if he can recover." Match facts Sheffield Wednesday have only recorded one victory against Sunderland at Hillsborough in their last six league contests (D1 L4), conceding 12 goals at a rate of two per game. The Black Cats have only lost one of their last 12 league encounters with the Owls (W8 D3), winning each of the last four. Simon Grayson, who had a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday in 2000, has lost three of his four managerial visits to Hillsborough - including losing the last two - with the exception a 3-1 win as Huddersfield boss in September 2012. Fernando Forestieri has been involved in 38 goals for Sheffield Wednesday in all competitions since the start of 2015-16 (27 goals, 11 assists); 10 more than any other Owls player in this period. Lewis Grabban scored his first brace in league football since February 2015 against his former employers Norwich City in Sunderland's victory on Sunday. Form: SAM – ? Prutton predicts: 2-2 Referee: STEPHEN MARTIN Assistants: Christopher Akers and Tony Peart Fourth official: Jeremy Simpson Team Line ups Sunderland Subs from Ruiter, Love, O’Shea, Djilobodji, Gibson, Gooch, Rodwell, Asoro, Khazri Doubtful Oviedo, Rodwell Injured McNair (knee, Sep), Watmore (knee, Sep), Maja (knee, tbc) Sheffield Wednesday Betting Odds: H 11/10 A 13/5 D 23/10 My two pence: Facing a few ex Sunderland players Westwood, Wallace & Fletcher this is another tough game similar to the last one, I am going for a 2-2 draw. Ha'way the lads.
Not a clue..Strange league and Sunderland are certainly a strange club.. Taking a draw.. Cos i aint gotta clue.. Excellent effort as always rtb.
Watch that obscenely rich tramp Fletcher score! I think we'll draw but play as they did Sunday, organised and clinical, and we'll beat most teams in this league.
Wednesday have a fair few injuries and Forestieri was dropped for their last game after a training ground spat with the manager.
Gone for the draw again but can see anything happening. Few old players in there as well, Westwood, Wallace and Fletcher.
Expecting a draw but an away win tomorrow would be a great start to the season. It would also be a massive boost for Grayson's authority over the club and squad!
He's a savvy guy. Saying the right things at the right time; working class city, boosting the players for keeping to the game plan, etc, etc. Tomorrow is a massive massive game. I think tomorrow's game may well tell us more about the manager than the squad. As in, just how much he's really got into, and impressed upon, their understanding of what he wants.
Great match threads @RTB Keep it up mate. Really appreciate the effort you put into it and the background info you dig up!
I saw that. Couldn't be arsed to question it though. It was so far out of left field the local farmer was looking for crop circles and finding them