Form
Wycombe Wanderers finished fifth in League One last season, eight points off the automatic places but securing a place in the playoffs. They failed to make it to the playoff final, losing to eventual winners Charlton Athletic over two legs, where one goal in the second leg was enough to settle the two ties.
This season marks their fifth straight year in League One, having been relegated from the Championship in 2021, after finishing 22nd in the league. The Chairboys sit ninth in the table, one place
ahead of Reading, courtesy of a superior goal difference with both sides on 43 points.
Their recent form has been strong, having seen three wins, one draw and one loss in their last five games. Wanderers come into this weekend’s game off the back of an impressive 4-0 home win against Doncaster Rovers last weekend.
The two sides played out a 2-2 draw at Adams Park in August, with Mamadi Camara and Lewis Wing scoring for the Royals.
The boss
Michael Duff: Duff was appointed Wycombe head coach in September last year, taking over from Mike Dodds, who was sacked after seven months in charge.
The former centre-back had a 20-year career as a player but only represented two clubs – Cheltenham Town and Burnley – where he made over 300 appearances for each club. Following his retirement in 2016, Duff worked with Burnley’s youth teams before securing his first managerial job with Cheltenham Town in 2018.
He spent almost four years with The Robins, where he won the League Two title in 2021, before guiding the club to their highest-ever league position (15th in League One) the following season. Duff went on to join Barnsley in 2022, where he guided the Tykes to the League One playoff final, which they lost to Sheffield Wednesday.
He joined Championship Swansea City that summer, however he was sacked by the Swans less than six months later, due to poor form. A spell at Huddersfield Town followed in 2024, but Duff was sacked by the Terriers after only 10 months in charge.
The 48-year-old has guided Wycombe from 19th place to ninth and will be looking for his side to fight for a place in the playoffs. Duff likes his sides to play a high press, while also playing out from the back.
Squad
Wycombe signed four players during the winter transfer window, with two arriving permanently and two joining on loan.
Their permanent signings were winger Andre Vidigal – who signed on a free, having previously played for Stoke City – and midfielder Aaron Morley, who joined from Bolton Wanderers for an undisclosed fee. Their loan signings were midfielder Luke Harris and striker Nathan Lowe, who joined from Fulham and Stoke respectively.
Wycombe are unlikely to make major changes following their impressive 4-0 victory last weekend, however midfielder Caolan Boyd-Munce is expected to miss out through injury.
Predicted lineup
Norris, Huggins, Casey, Hagelskjaer, Harvie, Morley, Leahy, Junior Quitirna, L. Harris, Onyedinma, Woodrow
Key player
44. Fred Onyedinma: Winger Onyedinma joined Wycombe in August 2024, signing on a free transfer following the end of his contract at Luton Town.
He started his career in the youth setup at Millwall and made his debut for the Lions in 2014. He went on to make 151 appearances for Millwall while also having two separate loan spells at Wycombe. Onyedinma signed permanently for Wycombe in 2019 and spent two seasons with the club before moving to Luton Town for an undisclosed fee in 2021.
He only made 60 appearances for Luton over the course of three seasons, but did play a part in eight Premier League games in the Hatters’ one season in the top flight. He is now on his fourth separate stint at Wycombe and has made close to 200 appearances for the Chairboys, scoring 37 goals.
Onyedinma is a winger who usually players on the right. He is a physical presence who is also strong in the air.
One to watch
28. Luke Harris: Midfielder Harris joined Wycombe in January on loan from Premier League Fulham.
He is a product of the Fulham youth system and made his debut for the club in 2022 in a League Cup game against Crawley Town. Harris has made seven appearances for the Cottagers while also gaining first-team experience in loan spells with Exeter City, Birmingham City and Oxford United, where he spent the first half of this season.
The 20-year-old has made four appearances for Wycombe so far. The Welshman has also represented his country at all youth levels from under-16 to under-21. Harris is a high-energy attacking midfielder who usually plays in the number 10 role.
