2025-26 Sky Bet Championship: Week One – Sunday

Leicester City host Sheffield Wednesday in the concluding fixture of the opening matchweek in 2025-26 Sky Bet Championship.

This match marks Leicester’s return to the second-tier after their relegation from the Premier League, whilst Sheffield Wednesday look to build upon their 12th-placed finish of last season amidst off-pitch issues and Danny Rohl’s exit as manager.

 

Team News

James Justin is available for Leicester after he missed their final pre-season friendly due to a knock.

Ricardo Pereira (muscle) is a doubt but Victor Kristiansen (knock), Bobby De Cordova Reid (unspecified) and Harry Souttar (Achilles) are ruled out.

Sheffield Wednesday will be without striker, Devlan Moses due to shoulder surgery which will keep him out until December.

 

When is Kick-Off?

Leicester host Sheffield Wednesday at King Power Stadium on Sunday 10 August at 4:30pm BST, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Football in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• Leicester have avoided defeat in three of their last five meetings against Sheffield Wednesday (W2, D1, L2).
• Sheffield Wednesday have won three of their last nine visits to Leicester (W3, D1, L5).
• Leicester have scored twice in each of their last two home games against the Owls, having won 2-1 in April 2014 and 2-0 in February 2024.
• Marti Cifuentes’ Foxes kept just two clean sheets in pre-season (W5, L1).
• Two of Wednesday’s eight pre-season goals were scored by Olaf Kobacki (W3).

 

Prediction

Although the drop last season was pretty inevitable for Leicester, their form was pretty atrocious with one win in 20 league games between mid-December – late April so this is now a complete reset with Cifuentes now in charge but Conor Coady, Wilfried Ndidi and Jamie Vardy are big losses.

Sheffield Wednesday meanwhile are an utter mess off the pitch but somehow went unbeaten in pre-season with a weakened squad, which shows the on-pitch unity within the squad and that is going to be a key factor in their early matches of the season with inexperienced goalkeeping options.

As much as it would do the Wednesday fans some positive to get a result here, I do feel like Leicester will ultimately have too much for them in attacking quality, but the Owls will certainly give them a good battle for the sake of their fans.

Prediction: Leicester 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday