Preview: Argyle v Owls

Paul Sturrock's Plymouth Argyle are next on the cards for an Owls side who will be desperate to put right the wrongs of Tuesday night's League Cup defeat at Port Vale.

Brian Laws men have enjoyed a decent start to the Championship season, a 4-0 thumping of Scunthorpe giving the Owls their first victory last weekend.

But all that was thrown into chaos on Tuesday with the 2-0 defeat at Port Vale, which put Francis Jeffers on the transfer list and made Laws' selection problems slightly easier for this weekend.

The Owls boss made seven changes to the side that beat Scunny in midweek, and he's set to revert back to the side that saw off the Iron last weekend.

Oh, throw in the fact that we're facing former boss Paul Sturrock this weekend and it's sure to be an eventful clash down at Home Park on Saturday.

Owls boss Brian Laws told the Sheffield Star:

'I know Paul Sturrock has been under a bit of pressure.

'I read that he prefers to play away, because they have not done so well at home.

'Plymouth away is always a tough call, and there is a lot travelling, but a time when they're not playing so well at home is the time to play them.'

Plymouth boss Paul Sturrock told BBC Sport:

'We need a win, I don't think anybody would argue with that.

'It's an important game to set our stall out at home and we've got to go out there and grind out a result.

'It took me five years at St. Johnstone to mould a squad that got promotion and then stay up in the league for some years after that,' he added.

Boss Sturrock has made clear his desire of playing away rather than at Home Park thanks to their recent poor form.

Argyle's home ground has usually been a safe heaven for the hosts, usually with the distance travelled by the away team helping them along the way, but they've struggled in recent matches.

Sturrock will be hoping on-loan Celtic frontman Cillian Sheridan will change all that, and he'll be hoping the striker is fit and available for the visit of Wednesday.

Sturrock will also be keeping his fingers crossed on the fitness of right-back David McNamee and on-loan Blackburn winger Alan Judge, who both picked up ankle knocks at Derby last weekend.

Should the Celtic loanee get the nod to feature this weekend, Sheridan will be hoping to have an instant impact on the Argyle side, with his goals key to getting Plymouth their first three points of the season.

Laws is set to ring the changes following the midweek defeat at Vale, and Saturday's squad should look more like the side that trounced Scunthorpe last time out in the League.

On-loan striker Luke Varney will return to te starting eleven, and will be hoping to turn his chances into goals this time, while Lewis Buxton, Richard Wood and Darren Purse are all set to return to the Owls defence.

Jermaine Johnson and James O'Conner are also set to get the nod for a return to action, although Akpo Sodje will be happy with a place on the bench as he continues his return from injury.

The on-loan striker brought a breathe of fresh air to the Owls' attacking play without getting on the scoresheet last weekend. Without a doubt, Varney will be looking to get his name on the scoresheet at Plymouth, and should do if the Owls midfield continue to create chances for him.

Head-to-Head:

Argyle wins: 11

ednesday wins: 12

raws: 12

Last Time Out:

Wednesday 0-1 Plymouth

Hillsborough, 28/10/08

Former Owl Steve Maclean grabbed a scrappy winner in the first half as Wednesday fell to Argyle on a night of football to forget at Hillsborough. Macca is set to start on the bench for the Pilgrims this weekend.

v Nottingham Forest (H) - 12/09/09

v Middlesbrough (H) - 15/09/09

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