Sheffield Wednesday: Owls chief Carlos Carvalhal defends below-par Almen Abdi

Abdi has failed to impress since moving to Hillsborough in a £4million deal from Premier League outfit Watford last July.

The Switzerland international, primarily a central midfielder, has frequently been deployed out wide and has struggled to influence matches.

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But Owls head coach Carvalhal feels it is only a matter of time before Abdi rediscovers his best form.

Carvalhal told The Star: “Almen is a good player. Sometimes players integrate more fast into a team than others.

“Almen is a player who is taking a little more time than we expected and he expects but we are here to help the players and push them. We are here to integrate them.

“I’m happy with Almen. He’s a good character and player. He has shown in the past what he can do and I’m absolutely sure he will show in the future that he’s good value to us.”

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Abdi made his seventh start in Owls colours in the midweek draw at Cardiff City but he was replaced at half-time by Fernando Forestieri, with the hosts leading after a cracking free-kick by Peter Whittingham. It was the third time Abdi has been hooked at the interval.

“We had to change the dynamic a little more to attack,” stressed Carvalhal. “We had to take one of the midfielders off and increase our attacking options.

“It was not personal. It was about what we needed as a team.”

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