Birmingham City v Sheffield Wednesday

Saturday's 1-1 draw at home to Queens Park Rangers means the Owls travel to Birmingham City unbeaten in consecutive matches. It is hardly cause for an open-top bus tour, but a step in the right direction for an embattled, inexperienced and injury-hit squad, and something the club had not achieved since March.

On the back of a first win of the season at Portsmouth, a first league goal and point at home were more important milestones for a squad with more than its share of players for whom they were all career firsts.

With a points-per-game ratio (seven from three matches) bettered only by league leaders Middlesbrough, Birmingham will put that confidence to the test on Tuesday, when the expectation is that players will go unpaid.

"I can feel that the boys start to have a belief," said Pedersen, who has handed first tastes of football in the top two divisions to four players this season, out of 20 used.

"They have had it, I think, a longer time than the results (have shown). We could see the belief, the trust.

"But to get the point (at home on Saturday) also helps the confidence. We are growing step by step.

"Although we have to put it all out to deserve points, on Saturday we deserved a minimum one point for sure.

BREAKTHROUGH: Dominic Iorfa (right) celebrates scoring Sheffield Wednesday's first Championship goal at home this season on their way to their first point at Hillsborough (Image: Steve Ellis)

placeholder image — BREAKTHROUGH: Dominic Iorfa (right) celebrates scoring Sheffield Wednesday's first Championship goal at home this season on their way to their first point at Hillsborough (Image: Steve Ellis)

"Now we can try again to make a really good performance and see how far we can go with this. QPR won their last three games and we could compete with them.

"Birmingham have a fantastic squad (and) a very strong team and to go to Birmingham on a Tuesday evening is going to be a tough evening. But we will do all we can to compete again."

Regardless of the result, Tuesday’s game is another first – the first midweek league match this season.

The Owls played three midweek League Cup ties, knocking Bolton Wanderers and Leeds United out on penalties and building confidence that way too. But those XIs were much-changed, meaning Jamal Lowe, Ernie Weaver and George Brown – once each – were the only outfielders to start twice those weeks.

INJURY DOUBT: Sheffield Wednesday defender Reece Johnson has a cut on his foot (Image: Steve Ellis)

"I'm sure we will find a solution," said Pedersen. "We are used to changes and rotations.

"I'm sure we will have 11 fresh players – not top fresh, but 11 strong players on the pitch.

"Birmingham have a fantastic squad, they're a strong team away and especially at home.

"That is a very difficult and interesting challenge for us."

Midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah is back in training after a hamstring injury at Leicester City on the opening weekend, but will not feature. Asked if his most likely return date was after October's international break, Pedersen replied: "It's a bigger chance, yeah."

Reece Johnson and Weaver both have foot injuries, the latter picked up against QPR, while the game is likely to be too soon for Olaf Kobacki (groin), and Di’Shon Bernard (knee), Pierce Charles (shoulder) and Gui Siqueira (Achilles) are longer-term absentees.