Sheffield Wednesday team news v Sunderland as Barry Bannan and Harlee Dean start

Influential captain Barry Bannan starts for Sheffield Wednesday in the first leg of their League One play-off semi-final against Sunderland. There had been concerns over Bannan's fitness after he was taken off late on in the 4-1 triumph over Portsmouth.

But Bannan, the Owls' player of the season, has been passed fit to play and will line up alongside Massimo Luongo and George Byers in the middle of the park. Wednesday boss Darren Moore has made one change to his starting XI, handing a recall to centre-back Harlee Dean

It is Dean's first outing since April 16. His return sees Sam Hutchinson go to the left.

Jack Hunt drops to the substitutes bench, with Liam Palmer moving to right wing back. Marvin Johnson is on the opposite flank.

Darren Moore has already settled the big Sheffield Wednesday debate ahead of Sunderland showdown

There will be a crowd in excess of 40,000 at the Stadium of Light this evening. The clash gets under way at 7:45pm. You can follow live updates from Wearside and everything that happens on our matchday blog here.

Wednesday finished fourth in the regular league, a point above the Black Cats. Sunderland have been in fine form, having tasted just one defeat in Alex Neil's 15 matches in charge.

Peacock-Farrell; Storey, Dean, Hutchinson; Palmer, Bannan, Luongo, Byers, Johnson; Berahino, Gregory.