Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk has suggested that his side will need “fire in the belly” to bounce back from their midweek defeat and beat Wigan Athletic on Saturday.

Monk suffered his first Championship defeat in charge of the Owls on Tuesday evening as Tom Eaves' goal gave Hull City victory at the KCOM Stadium.

That result leaves Wednesday in ninth place, just two points outside the play-off places, ahead of the visit of Wigan on the weekend.

Speaking in a press conference prior to the game, Monk indicated he wanted to see a response from his players.

According to the club’s official Twitter account, he said: “It will be a tough game, they will fight and run and unless we are right on it, it will be a difficult day for us. We need that fire in the belly to respond and get three points.

He added: “We want to go into the international break with a win and a positive feeling.

“We need a reaction from Tuesday, good teams respond straight away.

“By the look on the players’ faces, I’m confident we’ll get that reaction.”

Wigan have had an unconvincing start to the season but have pulled off some unlikely victories already.

The Latics beat newly-relegated Cardiff City 3-2 on the opening day of the season and beat high-flying Charlton Athletic 2-0 two weeks ago.

The Verdict

Prior to the midweek result, Monk had made an excellent start to life as Wednesday boss and he must ensure that his side bounce right back at Hillsborough this weekend.

He is right, it won’t be an easy game for the Owls. The Latics have some dangerous players in the final third, such as Jamal Lowe and Kieffer Moore, so it certainly won’t be plain sailing.

Monk has revealed that he is “99% sure” that first-choice striker Steven Fletcher will be available, which is a huge boost as his side failed to score without him against Hull.

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