Meet the opposition | Sheffield Wednesday
As Swansea City get set to make the journey to Hillsborough, we take a closer look at Sheffield Wednesday.
What's their story?
Wednesday are in their second season back in the Championship after being promoted to the second tier in dramatic fashion at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
The Owls overcame a four-goal deficit to progress on penalties from their semi-final against Peterborough, before Josh Windass' goal late in stoppage time saw them beat Michael Duff's Barnsley team in the final.
Having been a top-flight mainstay for a number of years, they came close to returning to the Premier League twice under former Swans boss Carlos Carvalhal – in 2016 and 2017.
It is now 22 years since the Owls last appeared in the top-flight, and over 30 years since their only major trophy – the 1991 League Cup. They went on to reach the FA Cup and League Cup finals two years later, losing both to Arsenal.
How's their form?
Solid. The Owls started the season with an impressive win over Plymouth but have won just two league games since.
But they are unbeaten in three of their last four games, beating West Bromwich Albion and Coventry City, and picking up a point against Bristol City, before suffering defeat to Burnley at the weekend.
Who's the gaffer?
Danny Rohl. The German took charge of the Owls following the departure of Xisco Munoz early in the 2023-24 season, and became the youngest manager in the EFL at the age of just 34.
He did an outstanding job to lead the Yorkshire club to safety and he will be looking to build on those foundations this term.
His appointment at Hillsborough marked his first stint in charge of a team at senior level, but the former defender had held previous roles RB Leipzig, Southampton, Bayern Munich and the German national team.
During his playing career, Rohl played in the German lower leagues for FSV Zwickau, FC Sachsen Leipzig II and FC Eilenburg.
Who's the captain?
Barry Bannan. The Scot was given the armband at the start of the 2020-21 season, replacing Tom Lees as skipper.
The experienced midfielder has racked up over 400 appearances for the Owls during over seven years at Hillsborough.
The winner of 27 Scotland caps, Bannan has been an integral part of the Owls team throughout his time at Hillsborough, bringing a bustling energy and the ability to create or score a goal out of nothing.
The 34-year-old, who started out at Aston Villa, has also played for Derby, Blackpool, Leeds, Crystal Palace and Bolton during his career.
Who are the key men?
Manchester United youth product Di'Shon Bernard joined on a permanent deal from the Red Devils in the summer of 2023 and has been a regular starter for most of his time in south Yorkshire.
The Jamaica international defender had loan spells with Salford, Hull City and Portsmouth before moving to Hillsborough.
Forward Anthony Musaba has a goal and two assists to his name so far this season, having netted eight times and created another five goals last term.
The 23-year-old joined the Owls from Monaco, having also had loan spells with Cercle Bruges, Heerenveen and NEC Nijmegen.
Defender Akin Famewo has been an important figure at the back for Wednesday since completing a move from Norwich in the summer of 2022.
The centre-back helped the Owls secure a return to the Championship via the play-offs in 2023, and then impressing in helping Wednesday secure safety after a challenging start to last term.
A Luton academy graduate, Famewo had a loan spell with Grimsby before a full-time move to the Canaries.
While with the East Anglia club he had stints with St Mirren and Charlton Athletic.