Despite only being 34 years old, Danny Rohl has shown that he has no fear about changing things up at Sheffield Wednesday.
Since his arrival last month, the German has brought a number of players in from the cold and has also pushed some further down the pecking order in a bit to save Sheffield Wednesday’s status.
The Owls still sit nine points from safety at the bottom of the Championship but have looked a lot more positive since claiming their first win of the season against Rotherham United.
While Danny Rohl will spent the international break trying to work out his strongest team and who he can really rely on in the second half of the campaign, the busy winter period will undoubtedly cause some hiccups for the manager.
Christmas in the EFL is known for constant football that results in forced changes and plenty of injuries, meaning Rohl may well have to give a number of different players a chance to impress.
Here are five players who could be handed more minutes on the pitch next month…
Liam Palmer
Despite spending the last 24 years with Sheffield Wednesday and pinning down his position as club vice-captain, Liam Palmer hasn’t played a minute of football since Danny Rohl’s appointment.
The defender has made the bench on three occasions, but was left out of the match-day squad completely for matches against Rotherham and Bristol City.
After making 47 appearances in League One last season, it comes as a huge surprise to see Palmer’s minutes restricted. However, we will surely see him earn his place back in the team over the next couple of months, especially given Calum Paterson’s suspension for the game against Birmingham City.
Bailey Cadamarteri
Bailey Cadamarteri has been really impressing for Sheffield Wednesday’s U21 side this season and even earned his senior debut in the 4-0 defeat to Millwall.
With the teenager left out of the U21 squad that took on Fleetwood Town this week, it suggests that Rohl could potentially see him as a first team member for the remainder of the season.
With squad rotation likely, we could see Cadamarteri make a few more appearances very soon.
John Buckley
John Buckley’s position in the Sheffield Wednesday squad will depend entirely on whether it looks like he will be recalled by Blackburn Rovers.
However, if there is a feeling at Hillsborough that he will stay, then he could well be rotated in to feature over Christmas.
The 24-year-old doesn’t seem to be very high up in the pecking order, but one or two injuries could see him earn back his place in the team.
Djeidi Gassama
Djeidi Gassama was bought from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer but Xisco Munoz didn’t seem too keen on him, leaving him out of the squad entirely on five occasions.
After missing out on the defeat to Watford, Rohl brought the Frenchman back into his plans in recent games and he has now started in the last two fixtures after impressing in training.
Sheffield Wednesday are desperate for some goals and could turn to Gassama to give them some attacking spark next month.
Reece James
Reece James is another player that Xisco Munoz didn’t seem to like, handing him only 92 minutes of football in the first two months of the season.
While Rohl has brought him back into the picture, the 30-year-old has still only managed one start and has mainly come on from the bench.
James is a very experienced and versatile player and could come in handy if the Owls are to rely on their squad depth.