Sheffield Wednesday could welcome back Jordi Liongola to their squad after interim manager Matt Hamshaw hinted that he could be available to face Blackpool this weekend.
The Owls are gearing up for their second match under the guidance of the former Derby County boss after it was decided that Henrik Pedersen would be relieved of his duties in the wake of their loss to Doncaster Rovers.
Liongola Chances Evaluated
It was an auspicious game at Hillsborough in midweek, with the hosts handling a majority of the possession, but were unable to come out with a win after Mason Burstow’s second-half strike was cancelled out by Cambridge United‘s Sullay Kaikai.
With a day’s extra break compared to the rest of the League One clubs playing on Tuesday, Wednesday now head into the weekend looking to break their three-game winless streak, and could be aided by the return of Jordi Liongola.
The wing-back was recruited from Belgian Pro League outfit RAAL La Louvière in the summer, and was poised to play a key role in the squad prior to a hamstring tear that has kept him on the sidelines for two months.
However, the 26-year-old could be due a long-awaited return to action against Blackpool, with Hamshaw not ruling out a potential place in the squad when speaking to the Sheffield Star.
“He’s having limited minutes in training, so hopefully we might see him soon. Whether it’s going to be Sunday or not, [we’ll have to wait and see].
“But I would think in the coming games, the coming weeks, you’re going to see a lot of these players back. [Louie Barry]’s another one who’s had limited minutes. We all saw what Louie can do.
“He’s a big miss for us, and we can’t wait to have him back. I think that the players that we’re talking about will have an instant impact, and we can’t wait to have them back.”
Wednesday Enter Pivotal Stretch
With Henrik Pedersen ousted and the hunt for a manager on, the next few performances, both under Matt Hamshaw and whoever his permanent successor is, will be crucial as to how the rest of the season goes for Sheffield Wednesday.
While not an ideal start to his interim tenure, the Owls were still able to generate plenty of chances and control the flow of the game, albeit facing some intense pressure from a Cambridge United side which are also challenging at the very top of League One.
The prospect of players returning from injury too will be a welcome relief as well, especially with Jordi Liongola who was unfortunately robbed of his chance to play a role in the season so far due to a hamstring issue.
Between him, Louie Barry and Di’Shon Bernard, Wednesday are closing in on several key players returning across the pitch, and their availability will do wonders to help the club push through games in the early stages of the new manager’s tenure.
