Two teams in growing need of a victory will go head to head in the Championship on Saturday as Sheffield Wednesday host Brighton & Hove Albion at Hillsborough.

The visitors' needs are far more pressing that the hosts', with Tuesday's goalless draw against Cardiff City leaving them level on points with 22nd-placed Millwall, only above the dotted line on goal difference.

Following an initial improvement under Chris Hughton, the Seagulls have quickly hit another dip in form with three defeats and just one win in their last five league outings.

With Millwall beginning to find a bit of form themselves, failure to turn things around sooner rather than later could well leave Brighton in a perilous situation towards the closing stages of the season.

It is not a scenario that the club's hierarchy would have envisioned following their recent playoff bids, but they are one of numerous teams to be hit by a particularly unpredictable season that has seen Bournemouth and Brentford challenge for promotion and Wigan Athletic join Albion in the doldrums.

Yet Hughton will still believe that his side have the quality to survive, and he need only look to their recent victory over Ipswich Town and valiant FA Cup loss to Arsenal as proof.

They have also lost just one of their last five away games, albeit to lowly Blackpool, and have kept three clean sheets during that run on the road. However, they have never beaten Wednesday at Hillsborough before, drawing six and losing six of their 12 meetings there.

Hughton will have Sam Baldock back available for selection following a hamstring injury, while Dale Stephens is once again expected to be on the bench having returned from a 10-month injury layoff against Cardiff in midweek.

Kazenga LuaLua also came off the bench in that match and is pushing for a start, but the game could come too soon for Solly March, who is struggling with a calf problem.

Wednesday still find themselves in the top half of the table, but the congested nature of those below them means that the 11th-placed Owls are closer to the relegation zone in terms of points than they are to seventh-placed Norwich City.

Their recent plight hasn't been helped by a run of five matches without a victory, during which time they have picked up just two points and scored only three goals.

The latest outing saw them fail to build on scoring the opening goal against Ipswich Town as the high-flying Tractor Boys came from behind to clinch a 2-1 victory at Portman Road.

The Owls won't exactly be thrilled to be back at Hillsborough either having won just three league games in front of their own fans all season, the last two of which have come against the teams currently occupying the bottom two spots in the league.

Indeed, they have picked up seven more points away from home than they have at Hillsborough this season, and their meagre tally of eight home goals scored is comfortably the worst in the division.

Stuart Gray will be boosted by the return of captain Glen Loovens from suspension having served a two-game ban, but Jose Semedo remains a major doubt due to a toe infection.

Sheff Weds:

Recent form: WLDLDL

Possible starting lineup: Westwood; Vermijl, Lees, Loovens, Mattock; McGugan, Lee, Hutchinson, Helan; May, Keane

Brighton:

Form in Championship: WLWLLD
Form in all competitions: LWLLLD

Possible starting lineup: Stockdale; Calderon, Greer, Dunk, Bennett; Ince, Kayal, LuaLua, Forster-Caskey, Baldock; O'Grady

Sports Mole says: 0-0