Preston North End v Sheffield Wednesday: 'Somebody stops speaking, somebody is grumpy, someone stops running' – Owls are fighting themselves

For both sides, it will be a third game in seven days, but the Lilywhites should be better equipped for it than their visitors.

The injury-ravaged Owls are "on the limit", according to manager Henrik Pedersen.

With Zimbabwe falling at the first hurdle, the Owls were working to get Sean Fusire back from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as soon as possible to boost a squad which really is starting to look skeletal.

Jarvis Thornton and Cole McGhee made full league debuts in Christmas week, with 13 players missing one or in most cases both games.

The XI which ended 2025 with a 0-0 draw at home to Blackburn Rovers had an average age of 24, even though Liam Palmer and Barry Bannan have a combined age of 70.

At only 20 Fusire will not help that much, and no players are expected back from injury at Deepdale, but the hope is Svante Ingelsson will be ready to start after being rested to the bench on Monday, and that 34-year-old Liam Cooper can return after a bad reaction to some pre-match medicine.

But six outfield players have played every minute of the Festive programme to date, and some will have to do so again.

Fatigue is a big factor for the Owls – as it will be for many teams on New Year's Day – but Pedersen thinks the team's spirit is helping mitigate it.

"We lost too many easy balls on Monday but when the players are on the limit it's what will happen,” argued Pedersen.

"But after the loss of the ball, there was no evaluation, there was only the next action.

"It showed me that the culture is very healthy, that we don't put focus on what's happened, we put focus on how can we change this.

"We can all think about when we are tired ourselves, what is our pattern when we are tired? Somebody stops speaking, somebody is grumpy, someone stops running.

"We all have different patterns when we are tired, and here it's very easy to drop down to those patterns.

"But the boys have to be so conscious, have big self-knowledge, so they don't go into all those old patterns, but stay with a big self-control.

"The senior players have to be a mirror for all the young guys all the time, because if they start to show old patterns when they are tired (there is a problem).

"That's why the culture is strong, because the senior players are strong."

They will need to be against Preston, who ended the year a point outside the Championship play-off places.

"It will be a tough game," said Pedersen, whose side are 32 points from safety with 23 games to play after 18 points deducted.

"Preston, a well-organised, physical, strong team who has a lot of power up front and a very strong squad."

Yan Valery’s Tunisia have progressed to the knockout stages at AFCON, and are due to face Mali in a last-16 tie on Saturday.