Huddersfield Town will be up against a new-look Sheffield Wednesday midfield in David Wagner’s first match as head coach of the John Smith’s Stadium club.
The Owls were already without suspended former Chelsea player Sam Hutchinson for the Saturday, November 21 Hillsborough showdown.
Now they have lost key man Barry Bannan to a knee injury.
The August recruit from Crystal Palace faces a couple of weeks on the sidelines.
He picked up the problem during the 3-1 Championship loss at Charlton Athletic – Wednesday’s first defeat in 12 matches in all competitions.
The 25-year-old Scotland international got his studs stuck in the turf as he went in for a tackle.
Former Aston Villa man Bannan, capped 20 times, has been key to the Owls’ bright run under Portuguese boss Carlos Carvalhal, who has guided his charges to the Capital One Cup quarter-finals.
He has been playing on the left side of a four-man midfield also featuring Ross Wallace, Kieran Lee and Hutchinson, who is banned for two games after picking up 10 bookings.
Carvalhal has alternative midfield options in Jose Semedo, Lewis McGugan, Jeremy Helan and Spaniard Alex Lopez, who is on loan from Celta Vigo.
And Senegalese wideman Modou Sougou is making good progress in his recovery from a damaged shoulder.
Wednesday, ninth in the table, also have worries over former Town right-back Jack Hunt, who is on loan from Palace, and on-loan Norwich City defender Michael Turner.
Both have knee injuries while keeper Keiren Westwood has an ankle problem which forced his withdrawal from the Republic of Ireland squad.
Town, in 19th, look set to be without centre-back Joel Lynch.
The 28-year-old has served a one-match ban for five bookings but has a hamstring injury which forced him out of Wagner’s Spanish training camp.
Midfielder Phil Billing (ankle) and striker Ishmael Miller (groin) also missed the Marbella trip.
There is better news on Jonathan Hogg, Sean Scannell and Jamie Paterson.
Midfielder Hogg has missed six games with a thigh problem and winger Scannell three with a hamstring issue.
On-loan Nottingham Forest forward Paterson was ruled out of the Leeds United derby defeat by a hamstring injury.
But all three have been out in Spain as they work towards comebacks.
Hillsborough has been a happy hunting ground for Town in recent times.
They have picked up three wins and two draws in their last five visits stretching back to November 2010.
