Danny Rohl has provided an injury update ahead of Sheffield Wednesday’s clash with Blackburn Rovers this weekend.
Speaking to The Star, the Owls manager addressed the availability of Michael Smith as he nears a return.
Sheffield Wednesday endured a number of absences in their draw with Leicester City, with Mallik Wilks the most recent to be forced onto the sidelines for a number of months.
Juan Delgado and Momo Diaby continue their recovery, while John Buckley will be ineligible after completing the loan switch from Ewood Park in the summer.
One player that will return to the team is Josh Windass, who completed his one-game suspension against the Foxes.
Michael Smith is one player who is closer than the others, with the striker out of action since the start of November.
Speaking on whether the forward will be fit this weekend, Rohl said: “It will be hard.
“Next week we have a normal week which gives a bit of time to bring some players back. If it’s too much it makes no sense. We’ll take it day to day.
“We need fresh legs again to do our pressing and our style of football. We need to find the balance at the moment.”
Can Michael Smith bring goals to the Sheffield Wednesday team?
Michael Smith was a key part of Sheffield Wednesday’s squad last season, with Darren Moore labelling him a ‘game-changer’ as he netted 18 goals and provided seven assists in League One.
The 32-year-old has bagged three goals this time round, but remains the club’s top goalscorer despite his absence.
With Mallik Wilks out, the return of Smith would be quite timely. The Owls have struggled for goals this season and Danny Rohl doesn’t seem to have quite decided who his main striker is, so Smith will undoubtedly be pushing for that role.
Josh Windass is likely to take his place up top, but it will be great for him to have some competition from someone who knows how to put the ball in the back of the net.
Smith will be eager to make his comeback soon though, especially if Sheffield Wednesday’s form begins to improve after the impressive display against Leicester.
The attacker will struggle to get back into the team if the Owls pick up the pace, while Josh Windass certainly isn’t an easy figure to force out.