Adam Reach opens up on dip in form, his ‘strange’ injury and why he's NOW feeling better than in a long time

Reach, 27, has been a regular at Hillsborough since 2016 when he made the move from Middlesbrough to Sheffield, but has self-admittedly struggled in the current campaign as the Owls saw themselves slip down the Championship table since the turn of the year.

It remains to be seen whether Garry Monk will call upon the midfielder for SWFC’s first game back against Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon, but Reach insists that the break did come at a good time for him and the team.

Speaking to The Star in a Zoom press conference today, he said, “I’ve been struggling with a very strange toe injury that I just couldn’t get away from, and I finally got back to full training and it was before the Forest game originally. Obviously things have transpired and I’ve ended up having 10 more weeks off.

“So from a personal point of view I think it came at a great time, because I’d just got back to full fitness and it’s given me even more time for the injury to heal.

“I’ve got no issues now, and hopefully I’ll be fully fit for the remaining nine games, so I think for me it’s come at a good time, and I think for a lot of players it’s come at a good time. Guys carrying knocks, injuries or a bit of poor form and their confidence has taken a bit of a knock. It’s good that we’re back, and everyone’s raring to go.”

Meanwhile, Reach also said that he feels as good as he’s felt in ‘a really long time’, which bodes well for fans hoping to see some of his trademark left-footers in the remaining nine matches.

He added, “I’ve played well over 40 games (per season) since I joined Sheffield Wednesday, and I think we take for granted how many games we actually play.

“Usually we get six or seven weeks off at the end of the season, but this time we’ve had pretty much 10/11 weeks off.

“I’m hoping that rests the body a lot more than usual, but it is strange because we’re back and then straight into games rather than having a preseason build-up.

“But I’m feeling fresh, I’m feeling as good as I’ve felt in a really long time, so I’m hoping to finish strongly and I know the other guys are feeling the same.

“It’s really important, though, to keep an eye on our bodies and any potential issues we might have, because I think we’re just going to roll straight into next season. So it’s important to look after ourselves.”

Wednesday face Forest at 3pm on Saturday, with the Owls looking to end a three-game losing streak against a side that hasn’t beaten them just once in their last 10 meetings.

More Wednesday news...

Forestieri’s immediate SWFC future in doubt

What happened to Stuart Gray’s last Sheffield Wednesday side?

An important message:

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, please consider a subscription to The Star by going to thestar.co.uk/subscriptions.

The coronavirus lockdown is having a major impact on many of our local advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive. That means we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers and subscribe to our website during this crisis.

Stay safe and take care.

Thank you, Joe.