"Massively bad news" - Carlton Palmer reacts to Sheffield Wednesday, Barry Bannan update | OneFootball

Carlton Palmer believes the Owls will be up against it after their main man is forced to spend some time on the sidelines

Former Sheffield Wednesday man Carlton Palmer believes the Owls will have a major whole to fill in the middle of the park after the news that Barry Bannan will be out of action until March.

The former Aston Villa man is set to be out for a period between four and six weeks after picking up a recent knock, with the Owls set to be without their star man as they launch a late assault on the Championship play-off spots.

Bannan had missed just one Wednesday league game since October 2023 before missing last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion, a result that leaves them three points outside the top six with 15 league matches remaining in the season.

With the 35-year-old unfit for selection for a crucial part of the season, Palmer has his doubts over Wednesday’s play-off credentials for the remainder of the campaign, although there was plenty of positives to take from the Baggies defeat.

Barry Bannan blow leaves Sheffield Wednesday with big task on their hands

Bannan’s influence on this Wednesday side cannot be underestimated, with the Scot a virtual ever-present over the past six seasons at Hillsborough; missing just 17 league games since the 2018/19 campaign got underway.

There have been countless magic moments in that time, with a whole personal highlight reel of wonder strikes, as well as a passing range that wouldn’t look out of place in the top flight.

Seven goal contributions this season proves he is still having a major part to play as the Owls crept towards the top six in the division, meaning his absence for the next month or so will hit Danny Rohl and his side hard.

With Swansea City, Coventry City, Burnley and Sunderland all to play before the end of the month, Wednesday will need to find a way to succeed without their main man in the weeks to come, although Palmer believes he has already seen signs that the Yorkshire side could well be fine in his absence.

The former England international said: “It is massively bad news for Sheffield Wednesday and their supporters, as Barry Bannan is set to be on the sidelines for four weeks out injured.

“I’ve got to be honest, I am a big fan of Barry Bannan as a bloke and as a football player, but I thought he would struggle in the Championship this season leg wise.

“But he has been absolutely outstanding; I have watched him play a few times this season, I saw him play against QPR a couple of weeks ago and he absolutely ran the show, he was all over the place.

“I was at the game at West Brom on Saturday, I thought Sheffield Wednesday deserved at least a point, but they missed Barry Bannan.

“They missed his guile, they missed his energy, they missed the fact he would be getting after players, on the football pitch he is a leader.

“Even if he isn’t playing well, he gets after players and makes sure they are doing their jobs, so it is a massive, massive blow for them, as he is going to be out for a minimum of four weeks.”

Barry Bannan loss could dent Sheffield Wednesday play-off hopes

Wednesday played valiantly at the Hawthorns on Saturday, with Jayson Molumby’s stoppage time winner proving to be the difference between the two sides, after Callum Paterson had looked to have earned the Owls a point with a late goal of his own.

With 12 shots on goal apiece, Rohl’s charges proved to be quite the match for their Black Country adversaries, and will give them great heart in proving they can battle against top sides in the division without Bannan in the side.

That performance ultimately ended in defeat though, and Palmer believes that the Steel City outfit need to keep the positive results coming in the coming weeks to set things up for an end-of-season showdown once their talisman returns to the side.

He continued: “We are going to have to wait and see, because I don’t think it will automatically kill their promotion hopes, I think it is a big loss to them, but they were playing against West Brom - who are occupying one of the play-off places - and they were well worth a draw.

“I thought there were very poor in the first-half, and West Brom controlled the game, but in the second-half I thought Sheffield Wednesday did enough to earn a draw, and that was without Barry.

“We will have to wait and see, but it is a massive loss to them at this stage, but if he is back in four or five weeks, the rest could do him good, and while he has been very inspirational, Wednesday will be hoping they can pick up enough points until his return. It is a massive loss for the Owls.”