Portsmouth aim to extend their unbeaten streak to four matches when they welcome struggling Sheffield Wednesday to Fratton Park in Saturday’s Championship clash.
Portsmouth Building Momentum
John Mousinho’s side have made a promising start to their second straight season in the Championship. Sitting ninth with eight points, Pompey have lost just one of their opening five matches (W2, D2) and enter this fixture on the back of three games without defeat.
That run began with a 1-1 draw against West Brom, followed by a hard-fought 1-0 win over Preston North End at Fratton Park. Last weekend, Pompey battled through the first south coast derby in six years, holding Southampton to a goalless draw at St Mary’s.
Defensively, Portsmouth have been one of the most solid sides in the league, conceding only three goals across five games — the joint-best record alongside Stoke City and Middlesbrough. Another clean sheet on Saturday would give them three in a row for the first time since their six-match run between February and March 2011.
However, Pompey’s task will not be easy. They have not beaten Sheffield Wednesday at Fratton Park since October 2000.
Sheffield Wednesday Struggling to Find Form
Sheffield Wednesday have endured a nightmare start to the 2025/26 season. With off-field issues limiting Henrik Pedersen’s squad options, the Owls sit 23rd in the table with just one point from five matches.
Four defeats in five league outings, including back-to-back losses at Hillsborough to Swansea and Bristol City, have left Wednesday searching for answers. To make matters worse, they suffered a 1-0 defeat to League Two side Grimsby Town in Tuesday’s EFL Cup third round after being thrashed 3-0 by Bristol City just days earlier.
Their only glimmer of positivity came away at Wrexham last month, where they clawed back a 2-0 deficit to secure a 2-2 draw. However, with injuries piling up and confidence low, Saturday’s trip to the south coast looks daunting.
From colleague @pn_neil_allen down in Portsmouth; Pompey fans set to unfurl 'Save Sheffield Wednesday from Chansiri' banner during Saturday's game.
— Alex Miller (@AlexMiller91) September 18, 2025
Solidarity shown by clubs up and down the country continues👇https://t.co/W3WzXsMaBp#SWFC🦉
Team News
Portsmouth
- Goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid is out for 8–12 weeks after fracturing his hand in the derby against Southampton.
- Connor Ogilvie is doubtful, while Harvey Blair and Callum Lang remain sidelined with hamstring problems.
- Ben Killip could start in goal, while Jordan Williams may step in at left-back if Ogilvie does not recover in time.
Sheffield Wednesday
- Several key players remain unavailable: Pierce Charles, Di’Shon Bernard, Nathaniel Chalobah, Guilherme Siqueira and Bruno Fernandes.
- Reece Johnson and Olaf Kobacki were added to the injury list after setbacks in the EFL Cup defeat to Grimsby.
- Former Portsmouth forward Jamal Lowe could lead the line alongside Bailey Cadamarteri, though Ike Ugbo and Charlie McNeill are pushing for starts.
Predicted Lineups
Portsmouth possible starting XI:
Killip; Swanson, Poole, Shaughnessy, Williams; Swift, Dozzell; Segecic, Chaplin, Murphy; Bishop
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting XI:
Horvath; Iorfa, Otegbayo, Lowe; Valery, Palmer, Bannan, Ingelsson, Amass; Lowe, Cadamarteri
