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?
Good. The Owls have lost just three of their last 11 in the league and are among a cluster of teams just outside the play-off places heading into the final third of the season.
Their form on their travels has been excellent, and Wednesday have the fifth-best away record in the division.
Who's the gaffer?
Danny Röhl. 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 35-year-old, who started out at Aston Villa, has also played for Derby, Blackpool, Leeds, Crystal Palace and Bolton during his career.
A recent injury means he is set to miss out against the Swans, with striker Josh Windass taking the armband in his absence against West Bromwich Albion last time out.
Who are the key men?
On-loan Southampton midfielder Shea Charles has enjoyed an outstanding spell at Hillsborough, and no Owls player has more than his five Championship assists to far this term. Charles has also scored a solitary goal for the Yorkshire club.
The 21-year-old Northern Ireland international came through the ranks at Manchester City, making a solitary first-team appearance for the Citizens.
He joined Southampton in the summer of 2023 and played over 30 games as the Saints secured a return to the Premier League; Charles then linked up with Wednesday on loan where he linked up with his younger brother Pierce.
Striker Josh Windass wrote his name in Owls’ folklore in 2023 when he netted a dramatic late winner to help Sheffield Wednesday edge out Yorkshire rivals Barnsley in the League One play-off final.
He is their topscorer so far this season with 10 league goals under his belt.
Son of Dean, a former striker who scored a memorable play-off winner of his own for Hull, Windass was initially on the books at Huddersfield, but did not make a first-team appearance for the Terriers before joining Accrington Stanley via a short stint with Harrogate Railway Athletic.
He scored 23 goals in three seasons with Stanley before a move to Scottish giants Rangers, who had completed their process of climbing back up through the divisions, followed in 2016.
Windass was the club’s joint top-scorer with 18 in his second season at Ibrox, and joined Wigan in the summer of 2018, spending two years with the Latics including a loan spell with Wednesday.
That move become permanent in the summer of 2020 and, in total, he has scored 50 goals in 168 appearances for the Owls.
French winger or full-back Yan Valery has contributed two goals and four assists for Sheffield Wednesday this season, and been a consistent performer.
Valery made the move to English football when he joined Southampton’s academy from Rennes in 2015, and progressed to make his senior debut for the Saints in 2018.
Ha made 53 senior appearances in total for the south-coast club, and also had a loan spell with Birmingham City, before returning to France with Angers in 2022.
The Tunisia international joined Wednesday last summer and has been nearly ever-present for them in the league.