Barry Bannan is set to return to the Wednesday line-up tomorrow for our first home league game of the season against Stoke City.
The skipper missed our midweek penalty shootout win over Bolton in the EFL Cup after being red-carded during the Championship opener at Leicester but will be back in action at S6 after a one-match ban.
Yan Valery is expected to be in the line-up after limping off at Leicester but Nathaniel Chalobah continues to be sidelined after injury forced him off at the King Power Stadium.
Young Bruno Fernandes is also ruled out after being victim of a poor challenge at Bolton which saw him subbed just before half time.
Looking to the Stoke game, manager Henrik Pedersen said: “I have a group of players and a group of coaches who have done everything they can to be well-prepared. We have this first home game against Stoke and we are all really, really looking forward to it tomorrow.
“The last two games at Leicester and Bolton were fantastic and if we can bring this at home, we can make a fantastic afternoon.’”
Our limited squad of senior players supported by youngsters have begun the season in encouraging fashion, despite being decimated by key players leaving in the summer, but Pedersen – along with us fans – knows there is a major need for recruitment of some kind in the near future.
However, under the terms of a current ‘fee restriction’ we need to show to the EFL that we can meet financial requirements before signing free agents or non-fee loanees and that could prove a stumbling block given our well-documented financial problems.
Pedersen said: “I know the club are working hard to get the right fundamentals to sign players … but I also know there are some challenges around it right now.”
*The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust will be holding a Protest March, against club owner and chairman Dejphon Chansiri, prior to tomorrow’s game.
At 1.45pm, a coffin will be carried through Hillsborough Park in a symbolic funeral for the club, followed by guest speakers from 2pm.
They are also aware that some fans are organising a whistle protest at the match. It is not arranged by the Trust who have also asked for it to be limited to the first five minutes of the game.
