Sheffield Wednesday have had a brilliant start to the season and are currently sat in fourth place of the Championship, with nine points from a possible 12.

The fixtures, however, have been kind to the Owls who have played Reading, Barnsley and Luton Town amid their first four fixtures.

Their toughest test yet came at Millwall where they were beaten 1-0 despite playing a full half with an extra-man advantage. Their upcoming trip to Preston North End will pose an equally tough challenge, but here are three ways they can avoid a consecutive defeat away from home.

Barry Bannan

To put the outcome of an entire match down to one man may be a little drastic, but there is no question that Wednesday play better when the fan favourite is dictating the play in the heart of midfield.

Preston are not a team that will look to play long balls over the top in front of their own fans at Deepdale. Instead, they are a team that like to try and play smart, attractive and progressive football which will play right into the hands of Bannan.

The Scotsman is an excellent reader of the game and an expert at intercepting the ball and turning it into a dangerous attack which was absent in the away defeat to Millwall where he appeared only as a substitute. It is a game suited to the midfielder’s style of play completely.

Strength in depth

Wednesday simply have more firepower on the bench. If there is little to separate the two sides after 60-70 minutes of football, the visitors have a much stronger bench to turn to in order to hurt the tired Preston defence.

Fernando Forestieri, Sam Winnall, Kieran Lee and Jordan Rhodes featured amongst the Wednesday substitutions in their last game. The pace and quality of these types of players are enough to inflict damage on any team after coming on as a fresh substitute.

These changes could be the difference between the two sides in the latter stages of the game.

Defending firm

Since the beginning of the season, Lee Bullen’s side have conceded the joint fewest goals in the division. Preston, however, are the joint highest scorers.

Tom Lees and Julian Borner, in particular, look to be forming an impressive partnership at the back which will be crucial if they are to get anything from this trip. Wednesday can hurt Preston with this defence by restricting their goalscoring opportunities. The style implemented by Alex Neil means that the side rely heavily on taking risks in order to score goals. If the Owls can restrict this free-scoring form, Preston will gradually open up more and more, creating acres of space for the clinical Steven Fletcher to work.

Sometimes the best form of attack is to defend. Wednesday may have to bring this to light at Deepdale.