New twist in whether Barry Bannan will play for Sheffield Wednesday v Derby County | OneFootball

Barry Bannan was forced off the field of play during Sheffield Wednesday's last match

Barry Bannan could still make Sheffield Wednesday’s upcoming clash against Derby County.

The Owls have had to operate with a threadbare squad this season, after being placed under a number of embargoes during the transfer window due to former owner Dejphon Chansiri’s financial mismanagement.

This meant that whilst operators such as Josh Windass, Djeidi Gassama, Michael Smith and Pol Valentin all walked out of the door, only Harry Amass and Ethan Horvath were brought in the other way.

Naturally, this lowered Wednesday’s performance levels and led to an overreliance on youth products, which also backfired in the form of a number of injuries to the likes of Ernie Weaver and George Brown.

One constant throughout has been Barry Bannan, the club’s captain and best player. Despite all the troubles Sheffield Wednesday went through during the summer, the 36-year-old decided to stick by the Owls and pledge his allegiance to their cause.

As expected, Bannan has continued to impress throughout this season, acting as a pivotal figure in the Wednesday dressing room as well as on the field of play. However, Henrik Pedersen may soon be forced to operate without him.

Barry Bannan could feature in Sheffield Wednesday’s Derby County clash

Last time out, Sheffield Wednesday were cruelly denied victory away at Watford by a 97th-minute equaliser courtesy of Vivaldo Semedo, but that wasn’t the only blow they suffered that night.

Bannan was withdrawn from the field of play at half-time, after struggling with an apparent groin issue. New teammate Nathan Redmond is dealing with the same problem but won’t be available for the rest of December.

Pedersen admitted after the match that he didn’t know the extent of the Scotsman’s injury, but it has now been revealed that he could make Wednesday’s clash against Derby on Monday.

According to the Sheffield Star, Bannan hasn’t been ruled out of selection for the match and could come through to make the matchday squad. Furthermore, the midfielder may also play a role in the game, which would be a huge boost for the Owls.

Sheffield Wednesday will be grateful for the timing of their Derby County clash

Most Championship matches usually take place on a Saturday, which probably would’ve ruled Bannan out of action for the Derby encounter.

However, the Owls have been scheduled to play on Monday, which provides the 36-year-old with two extra days of recovery.

The Star states that this extended period to regain fitness is crucial, which will leave everyone connected with the Steel City side delighted that they are playing after the weekend.