Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen expects ‘intense derby’ against Doncaster Rovers

Sheffield Wednesday head coach Henrik Pedersen is expecting an intense South Yorkshire derby when his side travel to Doncaster Rovers.

The Owls are looking to climb back into the play-offs after a disappointing 2-0 loss to newly promoted Notts County. They have dropped from top to seventh in League One in recent weeks after a run of just one win from their past five games, leading to a bit of unrest from supporters.

Rovers have been a mixed bag in recent weeks. They fell to the bottom of the table when they were beaten by AFC Wimbledon in the capital before responding with wins over Peterborough United and Burton Albion either side of the international break. However, that momentum has since dipped after losses to Leicester City and Stockport County.

Pedersen believes Rovers will provide a stern test, highlighting their ability to play directly and cause problems in possession ahead of the clash at the Club Doncaster Sports Village.

“It will be a tough derby. It will be an intense derby,” he said.

“They are a team who can play very direct, but can also be really strong in possession.”

“It will be a test for our pressing game, for how to handle the direct, the long balls, the intensity, and also to handle when they have strong positional phases,” he said.

With the local rivalry adding extra significance to the occasion, Pedersen believes the fundamentals will be crucial if Wednesday are to come away with a positive result.

“All the basics will again be the basis of the game, and here we have to be strong tomorrow,” he said.

Wednesday will be without Di’Shon Bernard, Joe Lumley , Jordi Liongola, Louis Barry and George Brown while they also still need to assess the fitness of Liam Cooper.

Doncaster Rovers are boosted by the returns of Tommi O’Reilly, Jordan Thomas, Jamie Sterry and Jack Senior. Josh Clarke is also expected to return to provide Tommy Simkin with further competition in goal.