Stuart Gray says he has got players teed up and ready to join the Owls … but is waiting for the nod to bring them to S6.
The summer-long saga of a still awaited takeover by Hafiz Mammadov means that Gray has been left as frustrated as the fans as he looks for approval to bring his transfer targets to Hillsborough.
He said today: “I’m pestering the chairman and I’m pestering Paul Aldridge to allow me to get some players in – they know how important it is to get them in before the Brighton game.”
Gray said he has already missed out on targets he had lined up, the players having now gone elsewhere because they could not wait for a decision, and added: “We’ve had other players in the building, they have had their medicals but now we’re just waiting for the green light to get them on board.”
However, he said he expects to have some new signings in time for the season opener at Brighton and has indicated that strikers and defenders are his number one target.
With the pre-season injury list also mounting, Gray has a thin squad to choose from for tomorrow night’s visit of Newcastle to Hillsborough.
Alan Pardew is expected to field a youthful side while Wednesday will definitely be without Jeremy Helan (muscle tear), Kieran Lee (groin), Lewis Buxton (knee) and Caolan Lavery (knee), while Jose Semedo (groin) is a doubt and Keiren Westwood awaits the result of tests on a damaged knee to see if it is a cartilage problem.
Trialist Slovenian defender, Dejan Kelhar, is expected to make his Hillsborough debut alongside Glenn Loovens and will have further talks with Gray after the game.