Jamie Murphy has been called into the Albion starting XI to face Sheffield Wednesday – on his third return to the Steel City.

The former Sheffield United winger replaces Jiri Skalak and Sam Baldock takes over from Tomer Hemed in attack as the Seagulls chase a first-ever win at Hillsborough.

There is also the widely anticipated return of Steve Sidwell in place of suspended Dale Stephens. Sidwell joins Ollie Norwood in the middle of the park in the continued absence of injured Beram Kayal.

The Seagulls’ other change to the side which kicked off the midweek draw at Ipswich is the return of Gaetan Bong after a ban. He replaces Sebastien Pocognoli at left-back.

Murphy returned to Sheffield twice with Albion last term after his early-season move from Blades but remained unused on the bench on each occasion as they drew, then lost, to Wednesday.

The Seagulls are unbeaten in their last four league matches, gathering ten points and four clean sheets in that time.

Wednesday, chasing a fifth win in six games, make five changes to the XI which kicked off their midweek 1-0 success at Blackburn.

Perhaps most notably, Argentinean star Fernando Forestieri returns to play just off in-form target man Steven Fletcher.

Jack Hunt and Daniel Pudil return in the full-back berths and Ross Wallace, who scored against Albion in both legs of the promotion play-off semi-final last season, is back on the right of midfield.

Most surprisingly, Glenn Loovens comes into central defence in place of Sam Hutchinson.

Former Albion winger Will Buckley is among those to drop out of the XI.

Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood; Hunt, Lees, Loovens, Pudil; Wallace, Bannan, Lee, Reach; Forestieri, Fletcher. Subs: Dawson, Sasso, Palmer, Jones, Buckley, Hooper, Nuhiu.

Albion: Stockdale; Bruno, Dunk, Duffy, Bong; Knockaert, Norwood, Sidwell, Murphy; Baldock, Murray. Subs: Maenpaa, Pocognoli, Goldson, Ince, Skalak, Hemed, Manu.

Ref: Oliver Langford (West Midlands).