Momo Diaby has taken one huge step towards his return to first-team action for Sheffield Wednesday.
The midfielder joined the Owls on a season-long loan with the option-to-buy in August, making his debut eight days later.
Momo Diaby lasted 65 minutes in his first appearance against Preston North End, before he was forced off with an injury.
The Frenchman impressed on his outing at Hillsborough, completing two dribbles, as well as winning three tackles, one interception and six ground duels.
But his time in the Sheffield Wednesday squad ended pretty imminently, with his injury so serious that the club opted against registering him with the EFL for the first half of the campaign.
Diaby has since been in a long recovery and returned to training a few weeks ago, before finally stepping foot on the pitch again as he started in the Under-21s’ draw against Birmingham City on Tuesday.
Diaby played the full 90 minutes as goals from Luke Cook and Gui Siqueira claimed a point in a dramatic 2-2 scoreline, leaving the Owls in third place.
The 27-year-old was just there to get some minutes under his belt though, and a full 90 minutes is a very promising sign on his road to recovery.
Diaby isn’t able to play for the rest of the year anyway since he isn’t registered, so Danny Rohl will now have a decision to make about whether to bring him back into the squad.
It was Xisco Munoz that signed the midfielder back in August, so the German coach has seen very little of the player.
Will Momo Diaby be registered in Sheffield Wednesday’s squad in the new year?
Marvin Johnson was registered late to the squad in October and so made up the final spot in Sheffield Wednesday’s 25-man squad, meaning Momo Diaby will only be eligible to play in the new year if one player is removed.
Diaby will hope to impress Danny Rohl in training before he makes a decision on his squad, though the Owls could look to offload some players to raise funds and make space for new players anyway.
John Buckley has suffered a long-term injury and could return to Blackburn Rovers in January, which could immediately allow Diaby to be brought into the fold. Players like Tyreeq Bakinson, Mallik Wilks and Ashley Fletcher may also face the chopping block.
Sheffield Wednesday have upped their performances in recent weeks and have picked up three wins in their last four games, meaning Diaby could have a task in his hands to force his way into the starting line-up – but it will certainly be a relief if he can be included in the 25-man squad in the first place.