Barnsley boss Valérien Ismaël insists that Sheffield Wednesday's position in the table counts for nothing ahead of the Yorkshire derby tomorrow.

The Owls are bottom of the table after a tough start to the season, and they are already four points from safety, with Tony Pulis' appointment last month yet to bring an upturn in form.

However, speaking to the Tykes official site, Ismaël explained how he is preparing for a tough test, whilst he also named three players that he sees as a major threat.

"They are a good team. They have a lot of quality players but are in a struggle right now. But the likes of Kadeem Harris, Barry Bannan and Callum Paterson are big players with proven ability.

"They have a very good coach, an experienced guy. We have prepared for the best of Sheffield Wednesday and not focused on their current ranking."

Barnsley will be confident going into the game though, having won two of their last three games, including a midweek success against Wycombe at Oakwell.

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The verdict

These are the sort of comments you expect from a manager ahead of a game, and you can't really argue with what Ismaël says here.

Despite their position, Wednesday have a lot of experienced players who have shown they can deliver at this level, including the three he names.

However, Barnsley are in a very good place right now, and there certainly won't be any fear from the home team going into what is a big game for both.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.