Sheffield Wednesday may be on the up at the moment, but reliable journalist Joe Crann has dropped a worrying injury update regarding a “gifted” ace’s recent injury.
Sheffield Wednesday reborn under Dany Rohl
The Owls looked dead and buried earlier in the season, with a quickfire return from the Championship to League One seemingly on the cards, but they have been given a new lease of life under Danny Rohl. The 34-year-old has done so impressively since replacing Xisco Munoz as manager, and Wednesday have won three of their last four league games, getting them to within six points of safety.
There has been so much to admire about their game, with a more intense, pressing style adopted and young players unleashed. The Owls also never know when they are beaten at the moment, with late goals coming against the likes of Leicester City, Stoke City and Queens Park Rangers in the last couple of weeks.
Relegation is still a very real possibility, of course, and Wednesday need to keep improving in the coming months, as well as ensure that key players aren’t struck down by injury. There were several fitness issues on show in Saturday’s dramatic 2-1 win at home to QPR, however, and an update has emerged regarding one of those players.
John Buckley injury update
Taking to X over the weekend, Crann provided an update on the fitness of Blackburn loanee John Buckley, admitting that the Wednesday midfielder could be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
“SWFC had three players forced off by injury today – Bambo Diaby, Callum Paterson and John Buckley. Danny Röhl says that it’s too early for any prognosis, but I understand there are concerns that Buckley’s could be a long-term one.”
Bambo Diaby and Callum Paterson are the other injured players in question, although there is no specific update on how long they could be out for.
Buckley may not necessarily be one of the first names on Rohl’s team sheet this season, but losing him for an extended period of time would still be a big setback for the club. The 24-year-old has made 13 appearances for the Owls in the Championship this season, starting five games, and he has won an average of 1.3 tackles per match in that time.
The Wednesday loanee is someone with the quality and guile to open up teams in the middle of the park, and Blackburn Rovers reporter Elliott Jackson has hailed his technical ability in the past, saying in a Q&A when he moved to Hillsborough.
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“He initially started as a number 10 when he broke into the Rovers team but has dropped deeper as he’s become more established. Buckley and Barry Bannan should enjoy playing together. They are both technically gifted and will help Xisco Munoz implement the high-possession style he wants at Hillsborough. They will need some steel behind them but it should inject more creativity into the midfield.”
The hope is that Buckley ends up only missing a fairly short-term chunk of action, but it doesn’t exactly feel positive as things stand, and other midfielders will need to step up to the plate during the festive period, and beyond.
