Silvera, Sam 
Byers, George 
There’s midweek Championship action taking place this week and struggling sides Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough meet at Hillsborough on Tuesday night.
Key Takeaways
- Hosts Sheffield Wednesday are yet to find a win this season after their return to the Championship
- Michael Carrick’s Boro have had a torrid start to the campaign and are also yet to find a league win this term
- It has been an even split in the last six meetings between the two sides with each team picking up three wins a piece
The Owls have found life tough back in the Championship after their play-off promotion from League One last season and have just one point from their first six games. It is Middlesbrough’s joint worst start to the season since they also have just a single point from their opening six matches.
Sheffield Wednesday Form
Wednesday have not enjoyed their time back in the English second tier thus far and currently sit near the bottom. They have just one point from their opening six outings and started the season with four successive league defeats.
A 0-0 draw away to South Yorkshire rivals Leeds United showed some signs of optimism but they followed that up with a 1-0 loss at home to Ipswich Town last time out. Goals have been hard to come by and they have scored the joint least number in the division (4), alongside opponents Boro and Millwall.
Middlesbrough Form
It has been a similar story for Boro who also have just one point on the board after six matches. However, it comes as even more of a disappointment for the visitors since they finished in fourth-place last term. Nevertheless, the departure of star forward Chuba Akpom has hit them hard.
Carrick’s side are on a run of three consecutive league defeats heading into this one and lost 2-1 away to Blackburn Rovers last time out. Their only point this season came at home against fellow strugglers Huddersfield. Boro need to improve things and fast. The hope is that late signings could help boost the side soon.
Head-to-Head
Recent history has seen both sides win three games each over the past six clashes. Sheff Wed won this fixture 2-1 when it was last played in 2020, whilst Middlesbrough won 3-1 in the reverse. We could be in for goals since the last four meetings between the two sides have seen both teams score and both teams have leaked plenty of goals of late.
Team News
Key man and captain Barry Bannan was absent for the Ipswich game last time out for the Owls due to injury and so remains a doubt for this one. Will Vaulks and Bambo Diaby also both missed the weekend’s fixture but could return in time here. Defender Dominic Iorfa is a fresh doubt after being forced off against Ipswich, whilst Momo Diaby and Mallik Wilks are expected to remain on the sidelines.
Boro left-back Alex Bangura is in doubt for Tuesday due to a hamstring issue. Lukas Engel is expected to feature in his place if needed. Paddy McNair could return to the starting lineup for the weekend’s match on the bench due to a knock, whilst Anfernee Dijksteel and Matt Clarke will remain out.
Key Players
The potential loss of Bannan is huge for Wednesday so they will be sweating over his fitness leading up to this one. Forward Michael Smith scored 18 goals in League One last term and will be looking to build on his tally of one so far this term.
Marcus Forss has managed two goal contributions so far for Boro so he will be a threat. He managed 15 in the Championship last term. Matt Crooks has scored in consecutive games for the visitors so he will hope to keep the momentum flowing here.
Final Thoughts
The basement-dwellers are both desperate for their first league wins of the campaign to kickstart their seasons. The two sides have both struggled for goals but recent head-to-head suggests we could see some here, especially due to either side's poor defences.
Championship