Championship leaders West Bromwich Albion host playoff contenders Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday as club football returns following the international break.

The Baggies are unbeaten in their last six and triumphed 1-0 over Hull City in their most recent outing, while Wednesday have not won in their last three and face a tough task to return to winning ways.

Match preview

West Brom sit atop the Championship table after a fine season in which they have lost just twice - a 2-1 defeat against Millwall in the EFL Cup and a 1-0 league loss to Leeds United - the most recent of which came at the start of October.

Since then, the Baggies have returned to their usual course, going unbeaten in six games - winning four - and appear to have plugged their previously leaky defence, keeping back-to-back clean sheets in their last two.

Slaven Bilic's side have been ruthless in attack this campaign; their tally of 29 strikes is second in the division only to Preston North End, but they have the joint-second worst defence of any side in the top nine.

However, with three of their four clean sheets this term coming in their last five games, West Brom may be an even more efficient outfit in the coming months than they have been to this point.

It makes for intimidating reading for Saturday's opponents Sheffield Wednesday, who have not won in their last three Championship games.

The Owls sit eighth and have had a generally positive - if somewhat patchy - campaign so far and are just three points behind Bristol City in sixth.

However, Garry Monk has been thus far unable to take his side on a consistent run of form, failing to record an unbeaten run of longer than four matches at any point in the league this term.

They do boast the fourth-best defence in the division, though, conceding just 14 goals in their 16 Championship games so far - behind only Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Brentford.

West Bromwich Albion form: WWDDWW
Sheffield Wednesday form: WDWDLD

Team News

Baggies boss Bilic has a number of key players missing through suspension ahead of this clash.

Nathan Ferguson fulfils the last game of his three-match ban, while midfield duo Romaine Sawyers and Jake Livermore are both suspended for one game due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

Gareth Barry and Kieran Gibbs have both struggled with injury prior to the international break, but the pair may be ready to return and be involved against the Owls in some capacity.

Monk, on the other hand, has a considerably more attractive list of absences in the build-up to this fixture.

The Owls manager has been boosted by the news that Julian Borner, Sam Hutchinson and Massimo Luongo are all back in contention after being sidelined through injury or illness.

West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:
Johnstone; Furlong, Ajayi, Bartley, Gibbs; Barry, Krovinovic; Phillips, Pereira, Diangana; Robson-Kanu

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Westwood; Iorfa, Borner, Lees, Palmer; Murphy, Luongo, Hutchinson, Bannan, Harris; Fletcher

We say: West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday

West Brom are in fine form and will hope for another win and another clean sheet to maintain - or even extend - their gap at the top of the table. Sheffield Wednesday are likely to prove stubborn opponents, but perhaps lack the momentum needed to topple the league leaders.