Just pockets of seats remain available in the lower tier of the Leppings Lane end at S6, with a bumper crowd set to make themselves heard as the Owls play their first home game of the 2026/27 League One season.

Many changes will be noticeable, and others will go unseen. Already this morning hundreds of fans have made their trip to the reopened Megastore to buy their new shirts and stock up ahead of their return to their home away from home at 8pm tonight.

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Wednesday take on the Bantams on Thursday night for their first home game of the 2026/27 League One campaign, and over 33,000 people are set to be in attendance for a packed out affair at Hillsborough.

Pedersen is likely to have a new face to call upon with Kieran Morrison set to join the club on loan from Liverpool, and there seems to be a suggestion that Ricardo Santos and Billy Mitchell are nearing their debuts. Di’Shon Bernard, meanwhile, is progressing well.

Tyler Onyango

"Tyler has injured his ACL and I think he will be out for many months. It is so sad for him and for everyone…”

Yan Valery, Ricardo Santos and Billy Mitchell

"Yan has trained the whole week and is available for us… Ricardo has trained well and done everything so that is very positive. Billy, same for him, he trained last week and all of this week."

Di’Shon Bernard

"Dish was a part of a normal training game today and it is really good to see him confident on the pitch. We are all happy to see this… He is a top, top player and we are all wishing him to come back.”

Bradford City

The opposition manager, Graham Alexander, gave an update on his side today, explaining that Callum Connolly had been training despite a late knock against Peterborough United, but that Tyreik Wright would be missing.

“Callum had a bit of a sore forehead,” he said. “He got kicked in the head just before he came off - but everyone has been out there today that was part of it on Saturday. We’ve got a reasonably clean bill of health, it’s just Tyreik who is missing… Everyone else is pretty good.”

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The Owls midfielder, who has had a number of injury issues during his young career, was handed a first start for Wednesday in their League One opener against Leyton Orient, but had to come off very early in the game after sustaining a problem with his knee.

Now it has been confirmed by Henrik Pedersen that Onyango’s injury is a serious one, and that he faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines as he works his way back to full fitness.

"Tyler has injured his ACL,” the Dane told the media today. “And I think he will be out for many months. It is so sad for him and for everyone.”

He also went on to mention Yan Valery, Ricardo Santos and Billy Mitchell, saying, “Yan has trained the whole week and is available for us.

"Ricardo has trained well and done everything so that is very positive. Billy, same for him, he trained last week and all of this week."

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The Owls take on Bradford on Thursday evening as a bumper crowd heads to Hillsborough for Wednesday’s first home match of the campaign, with over 32,000 people expected for what could be the biggest attendance of any League One game this season.

Henrik Pedersen has seen 13 new players come through his door at Middlewood Road in what has been an incredibly busy summer, and there are more new faces expected before the transfer window slams shut early next month.

One of those faces is set to be Morrison, who is looking set to swap Merseyside for Yorkshire on a season-long loan, and The Wednesday Word understands that there’s a growing confidence that the details could be finalised in time for the talented 19-year-old to potentially make the matchday squad on Thursday.

It’s understood that there was lots of interest in Morrison – who made his debut for Northern Ireland in June – but that it has been decided that Wednesday is the best place for him to be for the campaign ahead. It’s believed that, like with Manchester City and Manchester United, Liverpool have been impressed with how Pedersen has been able to develop young players, and would like to see similar progress from their young winger.

As previously reported, the right-wing position is one that the Owls had identified as a priority before the closure of the window, and Morrison is a player who’s shown a lot of quality there cutting in onto his left foot.

The teenager made his senior debut for the Premier League giants in the Carabao Cup last year, and has impressed in preseason over the summer after notching up 22 goals and assists across all competitions in 2025/26.

At the time of writing, it’s not thought that Morrison has made his way to Sheffield, but there is hope that things could be wrapped up in time for him to be registered before tomorrow’s midday deadline so that he’s available for Pedersen when the Bantams come to town.

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Wednesday made it three wins from three as their 2-1 victory over Orient continued their run after seeing off West Bromwich Albion and Bolton Wanderers, with the trio of triumphs all coming in different competitions.

Henrik Pedersen’s side certainly weren’t flawless at Brisbane Road, and struggled for large periods in the first half as the hosts controlled play, but changes in the second stanza helped the Owls and by the time the final whistle blew they were good value for their three points.

There was another debut - albeit short-lived - and a second solid display from Joe Lumley, while Barry Bannan (despite his horror miss) was a key cog centrally once more. Statistically, however, there were three players who topped the pile in blue and white.

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‘Greggers’, who played a huge role in the Owls’ 2022/23 promotion out of League One, was first spotted back at Middlewood Road last season as he started his coaching journey not long after his retirement.

Speaking to The Wednesday Word earlier this year, the former striker spoke of how much he’d enjoyed his time back, and TWW reported not long ago that he’d managed to impress so much that he was looking set to take on an official position.

That has now been confirmed as he takes on a hybrid role between the U18s and U21s over in Hillsborough, and the 37-year-old will be aiming to play his part in forging future generations of Owls.

“A new chapter,” he said. “From professional football, to property, and now back into football - this time on the coaching side… I’m delighted to be joining the U18/U21 Assistant PDP setup and taking the next step in my coaching journey.

“A new role, a new challenge, but the same passion for the game. Looking forward to learning, developing and helping the next generation of players along the way. From playing the game to helping develop the players of tomorrow.”

Wednesday have already appointed Luke Morgan as the new U18s manager, but are still on the lookout for a Head of Academy Goalkeeping as well as a new Head of Academy Sports Science.

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David Storch’s 100% record as owner of the Owls continued on Saturday as goals from Callum Slattery and Jamal Lowe secured a 2-1 victory at Brisbane Road, a result that left a sold-out away end in fine voice after the final whistle.

Henrik Pedersen was visibly delighted as Wednesday landed their first away victory in almost a year, and his opposite number, Richie Wellens, was also impressed with what he saw from the men in blue and white.

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Here’s some of what the two men in charge had to say after the game:

Richie Wellens

“I think the last 15 minutes have shown what the level is in terms of know-how and experience… They suffocated us in that corner, making good decision after good decision.

“Every time we were trying to get a pass in, they put it back in or made a foul to break the game up. They slowed the game down. So I think you’ve seen signs that we’re young, players are stepping up a level and players that want to be a first-team regular.

“But then you look at their squad and it has got hundreds and hundreds of Championship games. They’re bringing Cooper on, who has played a lot of games in the Premier League.

“Burstow won promotion last year… Louie Barry... I thought we struggled in the last 15-20 minutes structurally, because we were chasing the game, but also because - and credit to them - they just suffocated us and never allowed us a sniff.”

Henrik Pedersen

“We can improve in all areas, and we have to improve in all areas. We’re now starting to play competitive games, and this is now a big step for the team to be competitive two games in a row. Bolton are a strong team, and here they’re a strong home team.

“They were two very different games against a possession-strong team with Bolton, and a physically strong team with a lot of direct play today. It’s two different ways to win a football game.

“We want to be stronger in pressing, we want to be stronger in the second balls, and we want to especially be stronger when we win the second ball to speed up the game rather than slow it down…

“We want to be stronger and better in every aspect of the game, and that’s what we’re working for. I promise you that the boys are working so well. I have a big hope and a big belief that it will be good.”

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The right‑back was a surprise omission from the matchday squad in the Owls’ League One opener, prompting fresh speculation over his future. Pedersen moved quickly to play down any transfer‑related concerns, insisting Valery was simply fatigued.

He told the media that the defender had had a ‘tight groin’ after training, saying, “He was tired after training and we didn’t want to take any risks. I hope he will be ready soon.”

Speculation has been rife that Valery, who featured for Tunisia in the World Cup, could leave Wednesday before the end of the transfer window. When asked if his absence was linked to the ongoing transfer talk, the Wednesday boss replied, “I don’t think so. He would have played if he could have played. He had the feeling that the risk was too big and it was better to let him recover.”

Meanwhile, the Dane was unable to provide clarity on the injury suffered by Tyler Onyango, who was forced off just 14 minutes into his Owls debut and looked visibly distraught as he headed down the tunnel.

Centre‑back Ricardo Santos and midfielder Billy Mitchell, though, could return to contention for Thursday’s Yorkshire derby against Bradford City after missing the trip to Orient.

“Both of them are training well, so we’ll see what happens over the next couple of days,” Pedersen said. “We have only a few injuries at the moment and that’s what we want. There’s a good culture, everyone is pleased with the win today, but they’re hungry for much, much more.”

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Goals from Callum Slattery and Jamal Lowe secured three big points for the Owls as they started their League One campaign with a hard-fought win away at Brisbane Road.

It made it three victories in a row for Wednesday after their final-day triumph over West Bromwich Albion last season and their progression in the Carabao Cup past Bolton Wanderers… And their manager was understandably delighted.

“I’m very, very pleased to start with a win in the league,” Pedersen told Radio Sheffield. “We spoke before the game about finding ways to win - we can’t expect that everything will be perfect, but we can expect that we put the basics in. And that we keep on believing until the end.

“To find a way today, and especially with how we played in the second half, I’m really pleased with this…

“The game never really settled in the first half, and it was a second ball game. After 52 or 53 minutes we started to have more control. We were stronger in the pressing, stronger in the transition, and I think the changes we did were good for the team.”

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Henrik Pedersen let out a guttural roar as the final whistle was blown at Brisbane Road after goals from Callum Slattery and Jamal Lowe got them off to an excellent start down in the capital.

Yan Valery was missing from the squad altogether, and Tyler Onyango was handed his debut… The away end was - as always - packed out, and thankfully they had plenty to cheer on what was a blisteringly warm afternoon.

The first chance of the game came the way of the Owls, with Wednesday starting brightly and Jordi Liongola finding a bit of space in the box. Harry Gray slipped the ball into the middle, Slattery got a touch and it fell to the Burundian – but he couldn’t get over the ball and fired into the side netting.

For all the brightness, though, it didn’t take too long for a bitter Owls moment. Onyango - less than 15 minutes into his debut - went down holding his knee, and was unable to continue. For somebody who’s had issues over the years, it was a horrible blow so early into his SWFC career. He looked absolutely distraught as Jarvis Thornton replaced him.

Joe Lumley got down really to his left not long afterwards, tipping a deflected strike wide, and then – finally - a bit of luck…

We often say, ‘He needs one to go in off his backside’, when we talk about requiring some fortune in front of goal – and that’s exactly what Slattery got! It won’t be the way that he envisaged finding the net for the first time in Wednesday colours, but he won’t mind too much.

Nathan Baxter looked to clear the ball, but instead fired the ball right at the Owls’ number eight and could only watch as it bounced into the back of his neck. It was a lovely effort from his left cheek… A peach of a finish, you could say.

Sadly, though, their lead didn’t last long. Orient were given a drop ball after Sil Swinkels had been elbowed in the face, and as the Dutchman was waiting to come back on they looped the ball into the box that was eventually poked home by Joseph Oluwu. Defensively it left a lot to be desired, with Jaze Kabia left completely unmarked in the build-up. It was a terrible goal to concede.

The O’s remained in control for the bulk of the half, and bookings for both Swinkels and Gabriel Otegbayo left the Owls’ young centre backs walking a bit of a tightrope. Louie Barry came on at the break, taking the place of Liongola – with Gray moving over to the right.

Nothing really changed, though, and it was the hosts who remained in the ascendency. Idris El Mizouni fired a brilliant strike goalwards, but was left with his head in his hands after it rocketed back off Lumley’s post. It would’ve been a fantastic goal.

Wednesday did respond well to that scare, in fairness. Jamal Lowe even had the ball in the back of the net as he finished off a lovely Owls move, but he was judged to be offside and the score remained level.

After a quiet afternoon, Lowe seemed to come alive. That goal didn’t count, but he came close again moments later only to see Baxter claw his effort off the line… He must’ve thought it wasn’t going to happen for him, but more good work from Wednesday saw the Owls’ number nine yanked down in the box. Penalty.

Barry Bannan originally picked up the ball, but handed it to Lowe as he approached the spot. After scoring the winner against Bolton Wanderers, the attacker made no mistake from 12 yards out - sending Baxter the wrong way to make it 2-1.

What followed was a period that should have seen Wednesday home and dry. First it was Harry Gray, who was found on his own in the box but couldn’t find a way past the Orient ‘keeper, and then came an incredible miss from the most unlikely of sources…

Bannan did everything right as he clipped the ball around Baxter before bearing down on goal, but instead of rolling it into an open net he put the ball wide of the mark. We’d have put our collective houses on him finishing that off, I think.

On came Liam Cooper and Mason Burstow as Swinkels and Gray took their leave, and Wednesday looked relatively in control. Barry almost made it three, but saw his curling effort tipped wide excellently by Baxter - who’d been excellent since his early error.

Orient huffed and puffed, but Wednesday stood firm. Pedersen’s side have now won three games in a row, and - for now at least - find themselves in the top six. It wasn’t pretty, but a victory is a victory.

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The Gills have troubles in their goalkeeping department as their League Two campaign gets underway, and after Owen Mason spent a week with them recently, they’ve now snapped up Maynard Brewer.

A statement from Wednesday read, “Owls goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer has joined Gillingham on an emergency loan deal.

“Maynard-Brewer begins the short-term loan spell immediately as the Gills host Walsall in their League Two curtain raiser at home to Walsall today.

“The shot-stopper joined the Owls in the summer as a free agent having departed Scottish Premiership side Dundee United. Best of luck, Ash!”

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Storch is back in the country ahead of Wednesday’s opening game against Leyton Orient this afternoon, and headed over to the talkSPORT studios to chat about a whole host of topics.

One of them, of course, was the prospect of bringing Vardy back to the club that released him as a youngster, and while the player himself has suggested that ‘that chapter is closed’ for him, it appears that SWFC haven’t yet given up hope.

The Owls owner said today, “Jamie is somebody that we would like to have in our club. Let’s just say he’d be somebody that we’d be thrilled to have at the club… Unfortunately we have restrictions, and we’re trying to get around the restrictions to put something in front of Jamie that would make sense for him.”

Speaking on his own podcast previously, Vardy explained, “It's one of them things, I've always said that once I was let go then that chapter was kind of... shut. That's just me, that's how I am. It wasn't meant to be so it's never meant to be, kind of thing.”

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Henrik Pedersen’s men take on Orient at 3pm on Saturday afternoon at Brisbane Road, and will be hoping to build on their 1-0 win over Bolton Wanderers that saw them progress in the Carabao Cup.

There will be at least one change to the squad that was named for that game, with Charlie McNeill having joined Crewe Alexandra on loan, but there could also be alterations elsewhere given that Pedersen has options to choose from.

On top of confirming that Reece James was due to train with the club again next week, the Owls boss also spoke about the likes of Liam Cooper, Ricardo Santos, Billy Mitchell and Louie Barry.

Wednesday in good shape

“Everyone has trained today at different levels,” the Dane said. “So everything is going in the right direction for the whole squad in terms of fitness… It’s positive, and let’s see for tomorrow.

“Both Santos and Cooper are going in the right direction. Louie had a good week again now, and Billy has also started to train regularly - they’re two quality players, so for those two they’re also in the right direction.”

Orient’s absences

Over on the other side of the coin, Richie Wellens is yet to do his pre-match press conference ahead of the Owls’ visit, but Rarmani Edmonds-Green and Jordan Graham remain sidelined by injuries.

It’s unknown at this point whether they have any fresh concerns before Saturday’s clash, however - like Wednesday - they are also a team in transition having seen a lot of change at the club over the summer. Dom Ballard’s departure, of course, was the most notable one.

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