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·9 Agustus 2025
Leicester v Sheffield Wednesday: Back result to reflect Owls' crisis

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·9 Agustus 2025
A winning start awaits relegated Leicester at the KIng Power
You are about to read the most redundant stat ever published on these pages. Last season, Sheffield Wednesday's away form was excellent, accruing 32 points from a possible 69.
Here's another one for good measure. In 2024/25, Josh Windass contributed a career-best 18 goal involvements as the Owls ultimately secured a solid, mid-table finish.
Windass isn't at Hillsborough anymore, and the same goes for striker Michael Smith, winger Djeidi Gassama, manager Danny Rohl and many more key personnel as the club's long-term, off-the-field problems took a dramatic turn for the worse this summer, leading Wednesday to the very brink.
With just 15 registered players available, delayed salaries, a four-window transfer embargo in place, a North Stand back home deemed unfit for purpose by the local council, and no pre-season friendlies to their name Sheffield Wednesday head to the King Power this Sunday solely out of obligation. To exist, until they don't.
That puts all data and player's form firmly in the shade.
So severe is Wednesday's circumstance that their only chance of gaining three points this opening weekend is via a siege mentality but frankly these are beleaguered players, worn down by it all and now asked to scrap for a club's hierarchy that has seriously let them down.
Last Saturday they boycotted a friendly against Burnley to make a public point that enough is enough. And nothing has improved since then.
With Max Lowe the latest first-team player to walk away, incoming coach Henrik Pedersen - a former assistant to Rohl - has no recognised left-back to select and a reserve goalkeeper his only choice in nets. His forward options meanwhile have scored only 11 Championship goals between them from a combined 91 appearances.
Football can be brutal at times and it is routinely merciless. We may well see a prime example of this unfold in the East Midlands.
A thumping opening day victory will prove to be a novelty for Leicester's incoming gaffer Marti Cifuentes. In his inaugural season at QPR he guided the Hoops to just three wins in his first 13 games in charge. Last term it took them until the end of November to register a second win. Strong starts are typically not his thing.
Let's not forget either that the Foxes have their own financial concerns, with a possible points deduction looming for again breaching PSR. Then there is the departed Jamie Vardy to consider. Any team would miss his goals and work-rate.
The positives though outweigh all of the above and it only takes a perusal of their squad to see why. Contained within is a collection of talent more than capable of finishing top six come May and they are 11/8 to do so. That's even accounting for this week's sale of keeper Mads Hermansen to West Ham.
Top-notch full-backs and a strong midfield is their biggest plus-points while up front Patson Daka and Jordan Ayew are each capable of reaching double figures.
The return to fitness of Abdul Fatawu is also a genuine cause for optimism. Last season, his Premier League campaign was cut short by an ACL but a season earlier the Ghanaian winger tore into the second-tier, contributing 19 goal involvements.
It is notable that Fatawu scored in Leicester's concluding friendly against Fiorentina, his overall performance described as 'outstanding' by Cifuentes.
With Cifuentes likely to go with Fatawu and Stephy Mavididi down the flanks, and Leicester expected to dominate, a high corner count for the hosts could be the way to go. Over 7.5 for the Foxes at 5/4 appeals.Leicester to win both halves at 11/10 is another tempter.
What most jumps out though - given the probable narrative of the match - is most goals second half. Can we reasonably expect a makeshift Wednesday to hold firm if a couple of goals down? Furthermore, Pedersen's options off the bench are nil to scant.
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