The bottom two teams in the Championship table will do battle in a South Yorkshire Derby at the New York Stadium on Saturday, as Rotherham United welcome Sheffield Wednesday.
Rooted to the foot of the division, the hosts are 13 points adrift of their 23rd-placed visitors, who are now within three points of safety thanks to an impressive upturn in form in recent weeks.
Match preview
With 12 league games to go, Rotherham United find themselves in a desperate position at the bottom of the Championship, having been rooted to the foot of the table since early December and now finding themselves 13 points behind 23rd spot and 16 adrift of safety.
Indeed, the Millers have only managed 19 points all term thus far in their bid to again maintain their second-tier status, with the most recent of their three victories coming on Boxing Day on the back of a 10-match winless run and four straight defeats.
They have been unable to build on that since and find themselves in the midst of another major rut under the management of Leam Richardson, having again gone 10 league games without a three-point haul including six straight defeats in February heading into the weekend.
After falling short against Southampton, Leeds United, Hull City and Watford, the Millers travelled to promotion-chasing Ipswich Town last Tuesday and were cruelly denied a share of the spoils by a 95th-minute goal, having sat level thanks to goals from Tom Eaves, Hakeem Odoffin and Cafu, before most recently visiting fellow strugglers Queens Park Rangers and leaving empty-handed, despite going ahead early through Eaves, as Paul Smyth and Chris Willock fired the hosts to a 2-1 win with second-half goals.
With their standing in the fight for survival having quickly worsened as a result of their dismal run, Rotherham United find themselves in need of a miracle in the final 12 matches if they are to remain in the battle to avoid the drop, starting with a much-needed South Yorkshire Derby win to reduce the gap between the two sides to 10 points on Saturday.
They face a tough test, though, as Sheffield Wednesday will bid to complete a double over the Millers and strengthen their survival bid, having displayed impressive form in recent months under the tutelage of Danny Rohl.
The Owls' first league win of the season on their return to the Championship came at home to Rotherham in October, but having failed to build on that result, they headed into December at the foot of the table with just seven points on the board from 18 outings.
Roh's men have certainly bounced back in style in the three months since, though, climbing above their hosts and building a strong claim to avoid the drop having put eight wins and 25 more points on the board in their last 16 attempts, including three triumphs from their last four games after a brief dip in form.
Following a return to winning ways against Birmingham City and a loss away at league leaders Leicester City, the South Yorkshire outfit travel to the New York Stadium on the back of consecutive three-point hauls, firstly winning 2-0 away at fellow strugglers Millwall thanks to goals from Ike Ugbo and Anthony Musaba, before the former fired them to a 2-1 victory at home to Bristol City last weekend.
Having now moved within three points of safety with 12 league games to go, and with confidence growing in the camp thanks to their eye-catching improvement, Sheffield Wednesday will now bid to make it three wins on the bounce to take another step closer to what would be an unlikely survival, given their standing around the halfway stage of the term.
Team News
Rotherham United continue to be impacted by an extensive injury list, with defenders Tyler Blackett, Grant Hall, Daniel Ayala and Cohen Bramall remaining sidelined alongside Oliver Rathbone and Andre Green.
Given those absences, particularly at the back, Hakeem Odiffin should again join Sean Morrison and Cameron Humphreys at the heart of the defence, with Femi Seriki and Peter Kioso likely completing the back five.
Ahead of them, Sam Clucas, Christ Tiehi and Andy Rinomhota will bid to keep their places in the midfield despite competition from Cafu and Jamie Lindsay, while attackers Jordan Hugill and Charlie Wyke may again have to settle for substitute appearances with Tom Eaves in form up front alongside Sam Nombe.
Sheffield Wednesday will be unable to call on key defender Di'Shon Bernard at the New York Stadium, after he was sent off for two bookable offences in their win over Bristol City, while Callum Paterson and Josh Windass remain confined to the treatment room with fellow centre-back and former Rotherham man Michael Ihiekwe also a doubt.
Should he miss out, Akin Famewo and Bambo Diaby will likely come into the middle of the defence, while Will Vaulks and captain Barry Bannan should continue their partnership in the engine room.
Ahead of them, Djeidi Gassama may come in from the outset to join Anthony Musaba and January arrival Ian Poveda in a dangerous supporting trio behind lone striker Ike Ugbo, who has notched up five goals in his seven Championship appearances for the Owls since arriving on loan from Troyes.
Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Seriki, Odoffin, Morrison, Humphreys, Kioso; Clucas, Tiehi, Rinomhota; Nombe, Eaves
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Beadle; Valentin, Diaby, Famewo, Johnson; Bannan, Vaulks; Gassama, Poveda, Musaba; Ugbo
We say: Rotherham United 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Rotherham are devoid of any momentum and much remaining hope in the fight for survival, while the Owls boast more quality and have far more fight at the bottom end of the Championship.
We can only envisage Sheffield Wednesday extending their impressive run with a dominant display against a struggling Millers side.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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