Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday head coach Henrik Pedersen says new signing Liam Cooper will be fit for the Steel City derby.

Cooper joined the Owls as a free agent during the international break setting up a potential reunion with former Leeds team-mate Patrick Bamford who could make his debut for rivals Sheffield United.

"I think he'll be ready for Sunday," Pedersen told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"He's fantastic. In this market now, to find experience is easy but to find experience with hunger can be difficult. He has both.

"He is fantastic at how he leads in the training, how he supports the players around him and how he makes an example for what is okay and what is not okay is fantastic so I'm really, really happy for Liam."

You can listen to more from Henrik Pedersen ahead of the Steel City derby on BBC Sounds.

If you're wondering where your team is going to finish in the Championship this season, you no longer need to worry.

Well, kind of.

Opta's supercomputer has worked its magic to figure out the most likely final league position of every team - and the chances each has of being promoted, making the play-offs or getting relegated.

Who is most likely to win automatic promotion?

It will come as no surprise that leaders Coventry are heavy favourites for the title (69.3%) and also have the highest chance of automatic promotion (84.2%) to the Premier League.

The next most likely to go straight up, with a 30.8% chance, are Middlesbrough. Despite currently sitting seventh and six points behind Boro in second, Ipswich are expected to be the third favourites for a top two finish (18.9%) followed by Stoke (14.1%).

Even though they've each enjoyed a strong start to the campaign, Preston (10.3%), Hull (6.1%) and Millwall (8.3%) have slimmer chances of finishing in an automatic promotion spot.

Who will make the play-offs?

Image source, Rex Features

Even if Coventry don't win automatic promotion, Opta's supercomputer has given the Sky Blues a 97.9% chance of a top-six finish, suggesting it's almost guaranteed.

Each of Middlesbrough, Ipswich, Preston and Stoke are expected to finish in a minimum of a play-off position at least one in two times.

Hull might feel the hardest done by as they sit fifth currently, but are said to have less chance (32.3%) than Millwall (38.8%) and Charton (32.4%), who are below them in the table.

The most likely of the chasing pack to make a surge up the table are 12th-placed Leicester City, who have been given a 31.8% chance of finishing in the top six and are more likely than Bristol City (28.9%), Derby (22.9%) and Birmingham (19.9%).

Last season's beaten play-off finalists Sheffield United have just a 1.8% chance of recovering their season to make the play-offs again, while relegated Premier League side Southampton (12.5%) aren't likely to either... if you trust the supercomputer!

Who is going down?

Image source, Rex Features

It's probably not hard to work out who is most likely to finish bottom and be relegated to League One.

Sheffield Wednesday's 12-point deduction, which has left them 17 points adrift of safety on -4 points, means they're pretty much nailed on to finish bottom (84.8%) - and failing that, are almost certain to go down (98.2%).

Second from bottom Norwich are the next most likely candidates to fall through the trap door (58.5%) but Sheffield United, who currently occupy the final relegation spot, have just a 22.4% chance of going down and are considered more likely to stay up than Oxford (37.8%) and Portsmouth (31.3%).

The Steel City derby returns on Sunday (12:00 GMT) with both team looking towards safety from the bottom three.

Sheffield Wednesday could get closer to being out of negative numbers following their 12 point deduction, a win taking them to -1 as well as providing yet another boost to morale around Hillsborough.

Though victory for the Blades could see them level on points with 21st placed Oxford United should the U's lose their match against Middlesbrough, leaving them with a chance to strike next time around.

• This will be the 134th Steel City derby between Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United – in the previous 133, the Owls have won 42, while the Blades have won 48 with the other 43 games ending as draws.

• Sheffield United are unbeaten in their last six league games against Sheffield Wednesday (W3 D3), keeping a clean sheet in each of their last five against their rivals.

• Including injury time, the two teams to have spent the fewest time winning in Championship matches this season are Sheffield United (192 mins) and Sheffield Wednesday (219 mins), while the Owls have spent the most amount of time losing in games this season in the second tier (801 mins).

• Sheffield United have just 10 points in 15 Championship games this season (W3 D1 L11), 23 fewer than they had at this stage in 2024-25 (33). It is the biggest drop of points after 15 games in consecutive English second tier seasons by any team in history.

• Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan has created the joint most chances in the Championship this season (33), while he's made the most successful crosses (34) and played the most passes into the opposition box (150) of any player in the competition

Image source, Shutterstock

Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen has said the club feels "belief" again after entering administration in October.

The process brought an end to Dejphon Chansiri's chaotic ownership, which had seen players' and staff wages delayed and fans boycotting games.

The club's administrators said last week they had had 10 parties show proof of funds to take over at Hillsborough.

"There's been a big change of energy since the administrator took over," Pedersen told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"There is freedom again and there is belief again. People are looking forward to the future. You can feel a different energy in the stadium now."

Entering administration meant Wednesday were deducted 12 points by the English Football League and they are 17 points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table.

They host derby rivals Sheffield United on Sunday, looking for a first home win of the season.

The Blades have made a poor start to the season and have lost 11 of their opening 15 games.

Despite their lowly position, Pedersen is expecting a stern test at the weekend.

"I think we will play against a very organised team," he said. "They are very compact and strong and they can be very difficult to play against.

"They have so much quality to build up from the back but they can also play a bit more simple football.

"You have to be ready to handle many different situations. It's a complex challenge."

Image source, Shutterstock

Left-back Harry Amass will remain at Sheffield Wednesday following the January transfer window.

The Manchester United loanee was originally signed on a four-month deal in September but the Premier League side have decided not to recall the 18-year-old in the winter window, reports BBC Radio Sheffield., external

Amass has appeared in every Championship game for the Owls since making his debut against Bristol City in September, playing all 90 minutes in the last 10.

The England Under-19 international also scored his first senior goal for the club during their most recent outing against Southampton.