Preview: Bristol City v Owls

Wednesday turn their attentions to the FA Cup this weekend when they face a tough trip to Championship side Bristol City in the third round of the prestigious competition.

Although Wednesday's priority remains with promotion back to the Championship, the FA Cup always ranks highly and this season will be no different as the Owls look to dust aside recent poor performances in the competition.

The trip to Ashton Gate will be a tough, and relatively unglamorous tie for Wednesday, against a Robins side who've vastly improved their form since the start of the season.

City boss Keith Millen has highlighted the clash as City's 'biggest game of the season', showing just how seriously the Robins will be taking the game.

City boss Keith Millen told the official Bristol City website:

'It's been a while since we got through and it's important we take this game seriously.

'We want a cup run, the players want a cup run and most importantly the supporters deserve a cup run.

'The finances are important. The chairman supports the club and we want to pay him back in some way by progressing in the FA Cup.

'It's not just about the prize money for winning tomorrow, but also the potential of playing a top flight team in the next round.

'Sheffield Wednesday were relegated last season and still have many players with Championship experience. I'm glad we have home advantage but it's certainly not an easy tie.'

City will be hoping to have Liam Fontaine back and available for first team selection after he returned to training from injury this week.

Jamie McAllister and Louis Carey will both be out with calf injuries though, while Danny Rose will also sit out through injury.

The Robins will come into the game full of confidence following a 2-2 draw at Championship table-toppers QPR and a 3-0 victory over Cardiff City to kick-start the new year.

Former Barnsley winger Jamal Campbell-Ryce has always impressed against Wednesday, and the jet-heeled wing-wizard will no doubt cause a whole host of problems again this weekend.

Owls boss Alan Irvine will have new recruits Reda Johnson and Michael Morrison both available for selection for the trip to Ashton Gate.

Johnson didn't feature in Argyle's FA Cup run, which ended prematurely, and Morrison isn't cup tied with Leicester yet to feature in the competition.

Irvine is unlikely to throw both new signings in at the back but could give one of them their debuts at least, especially following the news that Jon Otsemobor will be missing through injury.

Otsemobor suffered a calf injury in the 1-0 defeat at Huddersfield Town on Monday and joins fellow right-back Lewis Buxton on the sidelines through injury.

The only other injury absentee for Wednesday is Giles Coke, who will miss out through a knee injury.

Irvine could well be tempted to make changes following the loss against the Terriers, with Paul Heffernan, Chris Sedgwick and Darren Potter all pushing for a first-team recall.

Out of the two new additions, Johnson is the most likely to get his debut after spending more time with his new team-mates, and Owls fans will be keen to see how their new recruit gets on. Replace Johnson for Morrison, if needs be...

Form:

Bristol: D-W-D-L-L

Wednesday: L-L-W-L-L

Head-To-Head:

Robins wins: 14

Wednesday wins: 23

Draws: 12

Last Time Out:

Wednesday 0-1 Bristol City

Hillsborough, 05/04/10

Nicky Maynard snatched a late winner for City the last time the two sides met, piling more pressure on Wednesday in the battle against relegation from the Championship.

v Charlton Athletic (H) - 15/01/11

v Leyton Orient (A) - 22/01/11

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