Danny Rohl must start one particular Sheffield Wednesday gem against Norwich City tomorrow.
Sheffield Wednesday kept their survival hopes alive with a 2-0 win over QPR at the weekend, leaving them a single point from safety.
Their excellent run of five wins in six games in February left fans thinking that they may have something to celebrate come the end of the campaign, however it now looks like it could well and truly go down to the wire.
Things went from bad to worse upon their arrival at Loftus Road too, with Ian Poveda forced off with an injury on the half hour mark.
Danny Rohl had made significant changes to the team that were beaten by Middlesbrough and already one of their key players had to withdraw.
They were set up for another miserable afternoon in the relegation scrap, if not for one man.
20-year-old gem is really proving his ‘potential’
Djeidi Gassama was brought onto replace his Colombian teammate, having scored only two goals in his previous 29 appearances for the Owls.
The winger had struggled to earn himself regular game-time at Hillsborough, but had previously been labelled a ‘constant menace‘ and ‘exciting’.
But now, with six games remaining, it was his opportunity to finally make a real impact at Wednesday – and he definitely did that.
Gassama bagged a goal and an assist as the Yorkshire outfit picked up a vital three points in the English capital.
It was a spectacular performance for the 20-year-old and one he probably wouldn’t have gotten if Poveda hadn’t been forced off.
Gassama has rarely been trusted to start a game, but tomorrow’s meeting with Norwich City now seems like the perfect opportunity.
What the Owls need from Gassama now
The Frenchman will be raring to go after that display, and with the next game coming only days later, he will still have all that energy and adrenalin pumping through his body from guiding his team to victory last time out.
Gassama deserves that start and I’m sure he will be desperate to repay the faith if he is named in the starting line-up.
Though he will have to be aware that this could be a much tougher ask than their trip to QPR, with Norwich now trying to confirm their place in the Championship play-offs.
The Canaries have won four of their last five games. However, they have taken only three points from their last six outings on the road.
It is a big chance for Gassama and one he really needs to take with both hands, because his opportunity in the starting line-up could be gone just like that if he fails to perform consistently.