Doncaster Rovers

Sheffield Wednesday are a side full of attacking threats and defensive know-how but they’ve had an injury hit season so far.

Manager Darren Moore’s side suffered yet another injury blow last weekend in their game against Rotherham United, with former Cardiff City and Wolverhampton Wanderers man Nathaniel Mendez-Laing suffering an injury. Add Josh Windass to the list, a player that’s tied for the second-most goals scored this season with four. However, after suffering yet another injury to start the month, Windass is not expected to miss the remainder of the season (which was originally feared by the club). While Lee Gregory leads all performers with eight goals this season, the drop-off becomes apparent from that point, as no other player has more than four goals after that.

But even with injuries, the Owls arrive to Eco-Power Stadium in fine form with midfield captain Barry Bannan and defender Liam Palmer anchoring the line-up for Moore’s side.

Barry Bannan

Barry Bannan inked a contract with Sheffield Wednesday in August 2015, and has been a staple in midfield for the Owls since his arrival at Hillsborough. Beginning his youth career in the Aston Villa Academy, and later signing his first professional contract with the midlands club, Bannan spent five years (2008-13) as a professional with Villa.

He also served a few loan spells in that span with Derby County, Blackpool and Leeds United. In 2013, the Scotland international moved to Crystal Palace, where he played in 22 top-flight games, scoring one goal. Since his arrival in Sheffield, Bannan has appeared in more than 275 games across all competitions and scored more than 15 goals for the club. In February 2021, Bannan extended his contract with the club until 2023.

On the international level, he represented his home country of Scotland with the U21 team from 2009-10 while also playing for the Scotland “B” team in 2009. He was called up to the senior national team in Match 2011, and made his first competitive start for Scotland in a 2012 Euro Qualifier against Lithuania later that same year. This season with Sheffield Wednesday, Bannan is one of three players in the squad to net four goals, while also providing a team-high matching five assists. He holds a 28.8% shots on target average to go along with averaging 0.47 shots per game. He leads the team with 187 crosses into the box, adding 24 interceptions in defence and 29 tackles won.

Lee Gregory

Born and raised in Sheffield, Lee Gregory started his football in the youth system at crosstown rival Sheffield United.

He became one of the Owls’ 13 signings during the 2021 summer transfer window, Gregory inked his contract at S6 in August, manufacturing a move from Stoke City. After playing two years at Mansfield Town (2009-11) near the start of his professional career, Gregory moved to Halifax Town in 2011. There Gregory was capped in more than 135 games across all competitions, scoring more than 65 goals for the club. However, he is perhaps best known for his time at Millwall, where he spent five seasons between 2014 and 2019.

The prolific striker was capped over 200 times for the Lions in his time at the Den. He went on to score 64 goals in his time with the club, including 18 goals during the team’s triumphant 2016/17 season, where the Lions earned promotion back to the Championship via the League One play-offs.

Since arriving at Hillsborough, Gregory has scored a team-leading eight goals this season, adding a team-high matching five assists. He averages 0.38 goals per game, in addition to holding a 45.1% shots on target average. He uses 2.44 shots per game combined with 1.10 shots on target per game.

Liam Palmer

A player that can be utilised at right-back and in the midfield, Liam Palmer is a Scotland international who grew up in Worksop. A product of the Sheffield Wednesday Academy, Palmer often hears the Hillsborough crowd sing his name with “he’s one of our own” added to it.

Palmer has been with Sheffield Wednesday as a professional since signing his first contract with the club coming out of the youth academy in 2010. During the 2012/13 season, he made a short loan move to Tranmere Rovers, but has since been a mainstay in the first team for the Owls since. He bounced back from injury to begin the 2014/15 season, while also changing his shirt number to eight that season (having since changed his number on two further occasions).

On the international level, Palmer played for the Scotland U19 team in 2010, before moving up to the U21 team until 2012. In 2019, he earned his first call up to the senior team for Scotland, and has since played in eight matches for the squad. Away from the pitch, he set up his own football academy titled Palmer School of Excellence in his hometown, allowing boys and girls of all ages to play and develop their skills in the game.

Palmer has appeared in over 300 games for the Owls in all competitions, and is the current longest-serving member of the club. This season, he has played in 33 games and collected 31 starts. He has provided three assists, adding 35 crosses into the box. In defence, he leads the team with 37 interceptions and 28 tackles won.

Callum Paterson

Another in what is becoming a long line of Scotland international footballers to have played for Sheffield Wednesday, Callum Paterson has been with the Owls since September 2020. He arrived to the S6 from Cardiff City, where the London born and raised utility man played three seasons in Wales from 2017. He appeared in more than 100 games across all competitions, scoring 19 league goals for the club.

He began his professional career in Scotland at Hearts of Midlothian in 2012, serving the club until 2017, where he appeared in 137 league games and scored 33 times in the Scottish Premiership as well. In April 2014, he scored a brace for Hearts in a derby match against Hibernian. In his time at Hearts, Paterson suffered relegation from the Scottish Premiership, as well as promotion back to the Scotland top-flight and earning a Europa League qualifying place with a third-place finish in the Premiership during the 2015/16 season as the club finished third in the league.

With Scotland on the international level, Paterson started with the U18 team in 2012, before quickly moving to the U19 side just months after his initial play with the U18 team. He represented the U21 team from 2012 through 2015, and earned his first call up to the senior national team in 2016. Since that time, he has been capped in 17 games for Scotland. This season with Sheffield Wednesday, Paterson has played in 29 games for the Owls, scoring two goals and providing two assists. He owns seven shots on target for a 24.1% shots on target average. He averages 0.32 shots on target per game. He has delivered 38 crosses into the box, adding 13 interceptions in defence and 12 tackles won.