Scout report: What Middlesbrough can expect from Sheffield Wednesday at the Riverside

After last week’s disappointing display at Cardiff City, Middlesbrough will hope to bounce back against Sheffield Wednesday this afternoon – but what sort of threat will the Owls pose?
Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood and defensive midfielder Sam Hutchinson were rested against Everton in the Carabao Cup.Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood and defensive midfielder Sam Hutchinson were rested against Everton in the Carabao Cup.
Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood and defensive midfielder Sam Hutchinson were rested against Everton in the Carabao Cup.

Boro will come up against former manager Garry Monk at the Riverside following his appointment at Hillsborough earlier this month. We take a closer look at how his new side are shaping up.

What form have Wednesday been in?

Monk goes into his fourth game as Wednesday boss with one win, one draw and one loss to his name, though the latter was sustained in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Everton.

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The Owls sit in ninth in the Championship and have won three of their four away games so far this season.

How will they line-up?

In the three games they’ve played since Monk’s appointment, Wednesday have lined-up in three different formations – a 4-4-2 at home to Everton, a 4-1-4-1 against Fulham and a 4-2-3-1 at Huddersfield.

Dominic Iorfa and Moses Odubajo, who have both started in all three games under Monk, are pretty much certain to start at centre-half and right-back respectively.

Goalkeeper Kieren Westwood, left-back Liam Palmer, defensive midfielder Sam Hutchinson and ex-Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher are all likely to return to the starting XI after being rested for the Everton game on Tuesday night.

Who are their ones to watch?

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Midfielder Adam Reach, who came through Boro’s academy and was sold to Wednesday in 2016, will be a danger whether he plays on the left, right or through the middle.

His goalscoring threat from distance means he will have to be closed down at every opportunity.

Elsewhere, fellow winger Kadeem Harris, who arrived from Cardiff on a free transfer in the summer, has been in fine form so far this season with his dynamic, direct dribbling and lightning pace.

The aforementioned Fletcher is the Owls’ top scorer this season with four goals. While not the most mobile, he is a dangerous presence in the penalty area and will pose a significant threat.