BRIAN Laws has carried out his promised reassessment of his Wednesday squad's needs and decided that an improvement on the injury front should not end his attempt to bring in a loan defender.
The Owls manager hopes to clinch a deal this week though Richard Wood has recovered in time for the derby, Peter Gilbert expects to follow suit and Tommy Spurr has not yet been ruled out.
Laws feels that the threat caused by three injuries to an already thin defensive pool served as a warning - especially with a spell of five games in 14 days.
He believes that it would be an unacceptable risk to go into this period so low in numbers and that it is quite possible that fresh problems will crop up, with so little time to recover in between games.
For example, the Owls play Barnsley away only two days after facing United.
Laws is understood to be looking for the insurance of a utility defender who can play anywhere across the back four.
"We have to be properly prepared for this period," he told The Star.
"We can't assume that all three of those defenders are going to be fit and well or that our back four is going to be the same at the end of this period as it was at the start; It's probably not going to happen.
"It's going to be a really testing time for our squad."
Laws has been linked with Hull defender Wayne Brown but it understood that he is not the main target.
Spurr remains a doubt for the derby because of an ankle injury. Laws said: "He will do everything in his power to be fit. I'm not ruling him out, and he is isn't either."
The Owls chief is refusing to say whether he plans to involve Akpo Sodje against the Blades.
The striker, back in training after a knee problem, played no part in yesterday's reserve game. Frankie Simek played for 64 minutes in the second game of his comeback after an ankle injury.
What do you think? Post your comments below. READ MOREOwls Watch 08-09 - The Season So FarWatch Premiership highlights, international football, golf, tennis, darts and much moreFootball headlinesMore OwlsMore boxingSports columnistsAll sport categoriesThe full article contains 386 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
