Sheffield Wednesday start life without Henrik Pedersen with a tough home test against Cambridge United. Matt Hamshaw will take charge of the game, likely looking to get the basics right.

Wednesday were beaten by Doncaster Rovers over the weekend. The result meant it was two defeats in a row and the end of the road for Pedersen.

Now, with several managers being linked with the club, Hamshaw will look to steady the ship and return the side to winning ways.

We have the latest Sheffield Wednesday team news, our predicted 11, and scoreline.

Sheffield Wednesday Team News

Harry Gray missed out on Saturday’s defeat, but HP did confirm after the game it wasn’t because of an injury. Speaking to The Star, he said:

“One had to be let out, and we have a lot of offensive players out. For me, it was difficult.

“Kieran (Morrison), he started on the left side. Jaden (Heskey) has been so strong in our away games to take the battles. I think Jaden was very important. Harry has played many games in a row and that’s why I also took him out. And then we have Ali (Al-Hamadi). He should start today and we also had doubt how long time could Ali go and that’s why Mason (Burstow) was also on the bench.”

Callum Slattery will be available after serving his one-match ban for picking up five yellow cards.

Given the short turnaround from Saturday’s game, it’s unlikely the Owls will be able to welcome anyone back into the team from injuries.

Predicted Sheffield Wednesday 11 vs Cambridge United

4-2-3-1: Maynard-Brewer; Valery, Swinkels, Cooper, Lowe; Bannan, Mitchell; Morrison, Slattery, Gray; Burstow.

It’s unlikely, given the time since HP was sacked, that Hamshaw will look to change too much, whether that’s the formation or players.

The 4-2-3-1 formation isn’t an issue; it’s more about who is playing where. In the past few weeks we’ve seen players play out of position, so the key is getting players playing where they know best.

If Lumley is fit, it would be good to have him back in goal, but that seems unlikely, meaning Ashley Maynard-Brewer will go in goal.

We’ve gone for Liam Cooper and Sil Swinkels as the back pairing. They are both left-footed, so whoever is most comfortable on their right should play that side. Swinkels hasn’t featured for some time, so he will need to be monitored, while Coops has played a lot of football in a short space of time. Ernie Weaver could come in, unless one of the senior CBs is fit.

The full backs pick themselves when they are fully fit.

The midfield duo has been a point of contention all season. It seemed like Billy Mitchell and Barry Bannan would be certain starters each game, but Jaden Heskey has shown his value in there. For this game we’ve gone for the experience of Bannan and Mitchell, but BB is another who’s played a lot recently.

The three behind the striker is where the most changes have been happening, and it’s the spot that needs to go back to basics. Rather than play players out of position, Hamshaw should put them where they know best and give them the freedom to play their own game.

That means Harry Gray on the left, Slattery down the middle, and Morrison on the right. Let Gray and Morrison take on the defenders and get balls into the box. While Slattery picks up the ball from Bannan and Mitchell in the gaps between midfielders and defenders.

Up top we’ve gone for Mason Burstow. He needs a chance in the side, and he’s a presence up top, both running into the channels and when the ball is put in the box. It hasn’t happened for him yet at Wednesday, but he scored so many goals last season for Bolton that he surely must come good if he gets the service.

With Wednesday needing to leave one loan player out of the side, we would drop Ali Al-Hamadi. He’s not shown a lot of quality since joining and, at the moment, is the easy option to drop.

Dropping Davis Keillor-Dunn to the bench seems sensible. Apart from the game against Wimbledon, he hasn’t been what Wednesday fans likely expected. He is a great player, but the Owls just need their new boss to work out how to get the best from him.

Score Prediction

Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Cambridge United

Scorers: Bannan & Burstow.