Darren Moore reveals Barry Bannan knock and provides update on Josh Windass injury as Sheffield Wednesday enter final preseason clash

The Star revealed last week that the 27-year-old, who was the Owls’ top scorer last season, had been ruled out of the start of their campaign with a hamstring injury picked up in a preseason run-out at West Bromwich Albion.

And Moore, who was already in the hunt for new firepower up front, gave an honest reading of where the club are up to in terms of Windass’ injury.

“We’re still in the process,” he told swfc.co.uk ahead of the Owls’ final preseason run-out at Port Vale.

“Even though he’s gone down and we fear he’s going to be out for some considerable amount of time, we don’t know the true extent of it yet.

“In an injury sich as that one, sometimes you need to let it settle down when it’s a muscular injury and what we’ve had to do is let it settle over the last seven days. We’re nearly at the stage now where we’ll get a specific diagnosis of the injury.

“We’ll see with that and hopefully it won’t be too long, but we’ll wait and see.

“Josh is OK in himself, but we’ll seek the medical advice that we need for assurance of the injury and then take it from there.”

At the end of what has been a hard-fought preseason campaign that should stand them in good stead heading intot he season, Moore also revealed a minor issue with another of Wednesday’s star players, club captain Barry Bannan

“Barry has a little bit of a sore back,” he said. “Although Barry is fine, we won’t be risking him tonight because sometimes playing on these pitches in preseason are a bit firm underneath really.

“It’s left him a little bit sore, so I’ve taken the precaution to leave him out of the game. He’ll be at the game, he’ll travel with the team, but I won’t risk him tonight.”

Wednesday start their 2021/22 campaign with the Carabao Cup visit of Championship side Huddersfield Town on Sunday. Their League One effort begins away at Charlton Athletic the following Saturday.