Sheffield Wednesday will “just have to see” if one of their forwards is fit for the game against Plymouth Argyle this weekend.
The game is Dave Challinor’s first in League One for the Owls, and it follows two defeats, one in the FA Cup and one in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy. While losing both of those games was disappointing, the fixture against Plymouth is seen by some as the real starting point in Challinor’s reign.
Argyle are three points ahead of Wednesday, but a victory for the Owls would see them leapfrog their opposition in the league on goal difference. They also have a game in hand over several teams in the play-off spots, including their visitors this weekend.
Ahead of the game, Sheffield Wednesday’s new manager has been discussing his squad’s availability. One player fans are keen to see more of now that he has returned from a long-term injury is George Brown.
George Brown Injury Update
Speaking to The Star after a young Wednesday side lost 4-0 to Accrington Stanley in the EFL Trophy, Challinor spoke about Brown’s return in that game:
“He’s been out for a long time and with every long-term injury you’ve got to tick off or jump over certain hurdles and that’s the first one for him tonight.”
The young forward started against Accrington and was an unused substitute in the FA Cup against Oldham Athletic, replacing Harry Gray during the warm-up. The Accrington game was a tough test for all the young players, including Brown, something Challinor alluded to:
“It was a tough comeback for him against an experienced centre-half who’s been round the block.
“So George had a right fight on his hands, but he’s got through 45 minutes which is brilliant. Importantly he recovers now and you guys know better than me in terms of the hopes that the club have for him.”
When asked whether Brown will feature in the former Stockport County manager’s first league game in charge, the 51-year-old said:
“We’ll just have to see. He was obviously in and around it at the weekend. Hopefully he recovers and there’s no ill effects and we’ll see where we go.”
The Target Man the Owls Need? – Opinion
The 20-year-old broke into the side last season, with the Owls lacking senior players and forced to give chances to young players who weren’t all ready. However, Brown was one of the few who looked more than comfortable, even at Championship level.
He played just seven games before picking up an injury that kept him out for the second half of the season. In those seven games, he scored two goals, in a team that were struggling to make chances, never mind score. In fact, his two goals made him the joint highest scorer for the club, just two behind Jamal Lowe, Charlie McNeill, and Jerry Yates.
One thing that really stood out about Brown was his physicality, despite playing against experienced defenders. He was often used as an outlet by the Owls during spells of sustained attacking by other sides. Brown won an average of 1.4 aerial duels per game and was fouled 1.1 times per game, helping Sheffield Wednesday get further up the field when needed.
This season things are slightly different. The pressure is on Wednesday to be the dominant team in most games, and, crucially for Brown, he has more competition for the starting spot. But none of those who have been given a chance to lead the line has really cemented their place.
It’s not hard to see Brown flourishing under Challinor, playing the main striker with talented attackers Davis Keillor-Dunn, Gray, and Louie Barry playing off him.
Brown will also benefit from the creative players in the side. Barry Bannan, Callum Slattery, Kieran Morrison, and those mentioned above can all put forwards in great scoring positions. Sheffield Wednesday just needs to find someone to put those chances away, and Brown could certainly be that man.