Sheffield Wednesday face Derby County at Hillsborough on Monday night in an eagerly anticipated Championship game.
The Owls came tantalisingly close to a first win since September on Tuesday night when Watford salvaged a draw in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
Charlie McNeill scored his third goal in a couple of games at Vicarage Road, and he’s one of several youngsters getting a chance to shine regularly with Wednesday experiencing ongoing turmoil.
Barry Bannan was substituted at half-time against Watford to spark concern about his fitness, and now a claim has been made over his availability when Derby arrive in South Yorkshire tomorrow night.
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Claim made about Sheffield Wednesday star Barry Bannan
According to the Sheffield Star, the hope is that Bannan can play against Derby, with the game being on Monday, helping the Wednesday captain.
Given the situation at Hillsborough, it’s vital for the Owls that they have Bannan in the trenches with the young group, and if he were to miss games, it could be detrimental.
Derby have hit the skids in recent weeks, sliding down the table at an alarming rate, and Wednesday might fancy their chances, viewing this as a winnable game.
The Star believe that there is every chance that Wednesday will have Bannan available for the game with Derby, and given the history between the two clubs, it’s surely a match he will look forward to playing in.
Wednesday need Bannan fit and firing
If Bannan isn’t fit to play, boss Henrik Pedersen needs to make sure that he’s in the dressing room, given the influence he has on this group of players.
It would be seriously detrimental to Wednesday’s chances of a result if Bannan isn’t in the team tomorrow night, and the hope will be that he can make the squad at the very least.
Bannan is one of the Owls’ greatest ever servants, and statistically, he’s up there with the top-performing Wednesday players this season.
Beating Derby is achievable tomorrow night, and the hope for Pedersen will be that he receives some good news regarding Bannan before he picks his team.