Video: Jacob Butterfield poised for more Sheffield Wednesday game time

First-team opportunities have been hard to come by for the midfielder since he joined the Owls on loan from Derby County at the end of August.

The former Barnsley trainee, who was ineligible to face the Rams last weekend, has made just one start and five substitute appearances.

But Wednesday take on the Reds, Millwall and Aston Villa over the next week and under-pressure head coach Carlos Carvalhal has indicated Butterfield is in thoughts as the Championship club look to get back to winning ways.

Carvalhal said: “He’s completely ready to play now. He understands what we want.

“He changed a little the way he plays. He is playing with more intensity and aggressively. He’s changing the speed also. He came here with a different profile.

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“He has been involved in most of the games but he couldn’t play against Derby.

“If he doesn’t play Saturday, he will play Tuesday. If he doesn’t play Tuesday, he will play Saturday. He’s a player that will be involved in the games. He is ready to play.”

Another player who has struggled to force his way into Carvalhal’s plans is Frederico Venancio. The defender is still waiting to make his Owls debut - more than two months after arriving from Vitoria de Setubal.

Carvalhal will have to make one enforced change to his backline when Wednesday entertain South Yorkshire neighbours Barnsley, with Glenn Loovens serving a one-match ban for his red card against Derby.

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But the Portuguese boss has played down the prospect of Venancio coming into the starting eleven.

Carvalhal said: “He’s a player that can play. As you understand, [Joost] van Aken is left footed and we have a problem on the left side of the defence. He has some advantage with Frederico because he’s left footed.

“But Frederico is a player who is ready to play. So far, Tom Lees is playing well but (the) one day that Frederico has an opportunity he will play well. Absolutely sure.”

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