The pressure is starting to build on second-placed West Bromwich Albion as they prepare for their midweek trip to Sheffield Wednesday.
Slaven Bilic's side are winless in four Championship matches and are now just five points clear of the chasing pack, while Wednesday have moved up to 13th after making a positive start on their return to action.
Match preview
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Having led the way at the top of the table for 24 matchdays, and spent close to nine months in the top two, anything less than automatic promotion would be disastrous for Albion.
A five-point buffer on Brentford may suggest that West Brom remain firmly on course for a Premier League return, but their form will be of huge concern to their supporters.
Albion have lost to Wigan Athletic and Brentford, while also drawing with Swansea City and Birmingham City, either side of the three-month hiatus.
The Baggies have failed to score in any of those matches, a run spanning some 405 minutes, having previously netted in a division-high 32 of their first 35 games.
Leeds United appear to have got their act together and are now three points clear at the top, so West Brom will be nervously looking over their shoulder at Brentford.
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Wednesday have used the coronavirus-enforced break to their advantage, meanwhile, by following up a three-match losing run with four points from the six on offer in June.
After holding Nottingham Forest to a 1-1 draw in their first game back thanks to Connor Wickham's last-gasp goal, the Owls saw off out-of-form Bristol City 2-1 at the weekend.
Garry Monk's side remain in the bottom half and the playoffs are surely out of reach given the eight-point margin on Cardiff City in sixth.
Victory over Albion is a must if they are to keep those slim promotion hopes alive, but Wednesday have recorded just one victory in their last eight league games at Hillsborough.
The Owls have also failed to win any of their last seven league encounters with West Brom since April 2007, losing four of those matches.
A continuation of that run on Wednesday and Monk's men can start preparing for another season of football in the second tier.
Sheffield Wednesday's Championship form: DWLLDW
Sheffield Wednesday's form (all competitions): WLLLDW
West Bromwich Albion's Championship form: WWLDDL
West Bromwich Albion's form (all competitions): WLLDDL
Team News
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Albion's goal struggles continued against Brentford last time out and Bilic may now be tempted to try something different up top.
Kenneth Zohore has underwhelmed since arriving from Cardiff last summer, scoring just three league goals, but he could replace Hal Robson-Kanu on Wednesday.
On-loan midfielder Grady Diangana has injured his hamstring and will play no part at Hillsborough, meanwhile, opening up a gap for Callum Robinson to return in attack.
Wednesday are without injured trio Josh Windass, Sam Winnall and Steven Fletcher for this midweek clash.
Monk is not expected to make many - if any - changes on the back of the win over Bristol City, but Adam Reach is among those pushing for a recall.
Wickham and Jordan Rhodes have only scored a combined five goals in the Championship this term, though they are set to once again lead the line for the hosts.
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Wildsmith; Palmer, Iorfa, Borner; Murphy, Luongo, Bannan, Reach, Harris; Wickham, Rhodes
West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:
Johnstone; Furlong, Hegazi, Ajayi, Gibbs; Livermore, Sawyers; Phillips, Pereira, Robinson; Zohore
We say: Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 West Bromwich Albion
West Brom are winless in their last four league games, having won five of their six in the Championship beforehand, and are in need of a morale-boosting victory to keep them at arm's length from the chasing pack.
Wednesday have used the three-month hiatus to their advantage, meanwhile, but this will be a tough match to take anything from.
