Sheffield Wednesday sent a clear message against Birmingham City - Coventry City and Frank Lampard have been warned | OneFootball

Coventry City and Frank Lampard must not underestimate Sheffield Wednesday ahead of their trip to Hillsborough on Saturday.

It has been another troubling week for Sheffield Wednesday as their off-field issues continue, but recent performances on the pitch have at least provided a glimmer of hope for supporters.

Wednesday's financial troubles over the summer were well-documented, but there appears to be no end in sight to the turmoil at Hillsborough, with owner Dejphon Chansiri once again failing to pay the wages of players and staff on time this week.

The Owls have already been hit with a four-window ban on paying transfer fees as punishment for previous wage-related breaches, while they are currently under a staggering five separate transfer embargoes, and after Chansiri's latest indiscretion, it seems there could be further punishment to come.

According to Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett, it is "almost inevitable" that Wednesday will receive a points deduction when their case is heard by the independent commission due to the size of the charge sheet against them.

The Owls' woes under Chansiri look likely to continue for a while longer — at least until the new Independent Football Regulator begins work and is able to intervene — so it has been down to the players to provide some positivity for the club's long-suffering supporters to cling onto, and it has certainly been an encouraging few weeks for Henrik Pedersen's side on the pitch.

Sheffield Wednesday earned Birmingham City plaudits despite late heartbreak

While it was not unexpected after their nightmare summer and disrupted pre-season, Wednesday made a poor start to the season as they picked up just one point from their first five league games, and they were also knocked out of the EFL Cup after a 1-0 defeat at home to League Two side Grimsby Town.

Just a few weeks ago, it looked as though the Owls were set to sink without a trace, but they have rallied impressively by collecting five points from their past three games, and they secured perhaps their best result of the campaign on Tuesday night as they drew 2-2 with Birmingham City at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park.

The Blues are among the promotion favourites in the Championship after another summer of investment, and it looked as though they were set to coast to victory against Wednesday when Jay Stansfield gave them the lead in the ninth minute.

However, far from being demoralised by that early setback, it appeared to galvanise the Owls, and they equalised in the 37th minute when Jamal Lowe captalised on a defensive error from the hosts before George Brown gave them a shock lead in the 76th minute.

Just when it seemed as though Wednesday were going to escape the Midlands with all three points, Demarai Gray fired home an equaliser for Birmingham in the ninth minute of stoppage time, but the late heartbreak does not take too much of the shine off what was an incredibly commendable performance by the visitors in difficult circumstances.

Indeed, the Owls squad had woken up to the news that their wages for September had not been paid, but they ended the day by earning a point at one of the toughest away venues in the division, and that clearly proves that, despite the off-field issues, they are still very much fighting for the club and supporters.

Coventry City must not underestimate Sheffield Wednesday as Hillsborough clash looms

Wednesday face their most difficult game of the season so far when they welcome Coventry City to Hillsborough on Saturday, and Frank Lampard's side will come into the game as heavy favourites with good reason.

The Sky Blues have been notoriously slow starters in recent seasons, but they have had no such problems this time around, and they currently sit second in the table after accumulating 16 points from their first eight league games.

After a comfortable 3-0 win over local rivals Birmingham on Saturday, Coventry continued their stunning form as they swept Millwall aside with an emphatic 4-0 victory at The Den on Wednesday night, with Haji Wright's double and goals from Ellis Simms and Kaine Kesler-Hayden sealing all three points.

The Sky Blues have already scored 22 league goals this season, which is significantly more than any other side in the Championship, and they will certainly fancy their chances against the Owls, who have the joint-second worst defensive record in the division.

Coventry have won their previous two visits to Hillsborough, and they will be confident of picking up another maximum on South Yorkshire soil this weekend, but Wednesday proved against Birmingham in midweek that they must not be underestimated.

The Owls may have lost 41 of their 60 league goals from last season through summer departures, but what they lack in quality, they certainly make up for in spirit, and Pedersen has combined the know-how of his remaining experienced players with the fearlessness of some of the club's academy products to create a team that has been increasingly competitive in recent weeks.

Wednesday have found life much easier away from home this season, with five of their six points coming on the road, but with confidence growing within the squad, they will be looking to defy the odds once again on Saturday and cause an upset against the Sky Blues on their own patch.

In current form, it is difficult to see anything other than a Coventry victory, but Lampard must ensure that his players take to the pitch with the right attitude and the necessary respect for their opponents, otherwise they could become the latest team to be on the receiving end of an Owls shock.