Sheffield Wednesday v Portsmouth: survival bid meets form reset | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday host Portsmouth in the Championship at Hillsborough on Saturday, 17 January 2026, with the bottom club chasing vital points and the visitors aiming to steady themselves after back-to-back defeats.

Sheffield Wednesday have the recent edge in this fixture after a 2-0 win at Portsmouth in September and an unbeaten run of three meetings. Portsmouth arrive 21st in the table.

The Owls are winless in their last 10 games in all competitions. Portsmouth have lost their last two, including a 5-0 league defeat at Bristol City and a 4-1 FA Cup loss to Arsenal.

The Owls list absentees including Liam Cooper, Nathaniel Chalobah, Dominic Iorfa, Max Lowe, Iké Ugbo and Di'Shon Bernard. For Portsmouth, Joshua Murphy, Connor Ogilvie, Callum Lang, Josh Knight, Harvey Blair and Franco Umeh-Chibueze are among those sidelined.

The Owls have scored 18 and conceded 51 in the league, the latter at two per game, so keeping things tight may be a priority. Portsmouth, with 379 open-play crosses and 532 aerial duels won this season, could look to use width and deliveries into the box, while five clean sheets hint at a platform to build on.

Portsmouth sit 21st on 25 points and a win could push them up the table and further from danger. The Owls remain 24th on minus seven. Victory would lift their tally and may trim the gap to the safety line.