Barry Bannan sit-out would prompt much-needed shake-up in Sheffield Wednesday attack

The Owls have scored two goals in a single League One game only once in the last two months and have tallied an xG of more than 1.72 only once since a 3-0 home win over Cheltenham Town on October 8.

And while these are fine print statistics compared to the vitals – Wednesday are third, within striking distance of top spot and with some of the best attacking and defensive numbers in the division across both the year and the current season – there is a justified and creeping worry among onlookers that the Owls attack isn’t quite firing of late.

A rum time, then, for club captain and creative seigneur Barry Bannan to hobble off injured in the first half of a dramatic 1-1 draw at St James Park – Wednesday’s attacking output this season is 1.89xG per match higher with the Scot on the field than without.

The diagnosis on his hamstring ailment is not yet known but such is Bannan’s importance to the way Wednesday do things, any absence could force an opportunity for Moore and Wednesday to tweak their line-up if he is to miss out on match action, starting with the visit of Oxford United this weekend.

A possible replacement and a change up-top?

It’s been no secret that Moore sees the mooted return of George Byers would be more than handy; Bannan or no Bannan. His creativity and all-round attributes have been missed in the middle of midfield since his last outing on October 29.

But whether Byers is decreed ready to be thrown straight into a starting berth remains to be seen. With Dennis Adeniran also on the comeback trail, the Owls suddenly look just a little light in the midfield department; though Tyreeq Bakinson, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Will Vaulks offer a strong available trio.

Given their struggles in the final third, it could well be that Wednesday plump for ‘getting the goals on the field’ and switch back to a front three that sees Lee Gregory and Michael Smith placed up top together with fit-again Josh Windass pushed back in to the role as Wednesday’s most advanced midfielder – or number 10.

Moore has also been known to use Callum Paterson in a similar role – his confidence surely boosted by his vital goal in Devon.

Time for a change out wide?

With the possibility of naming two strikers as adept in the air as Smith and Gregory, extra scrutiny would surely be placed on wide men to offer adequate service, an area that has come into question in recent weeks.

Moore offered a hint that Dominic Iorfa and Liam Palmer could continue to switch between themselves at right centre-half and right wing-back dependent on the circumstances.

But even considering the form of both men, Wednesday crosses have been lop-sided this season; Marvin Johnson has contributed 5.61 per match, while Palmer sends in 2.98 while playing wide right and Iorfa only 1.54.

Current third option Jack Hunt, whose form in cup outings has not forced the door down, offers 3.6 crosses per match this season and 4.4 in his run of action last season.

What’s more, Hunt’s cross percentage accuracy hung at an impressive 45% last season – though it drops to 40% this campaign – with Palmer’s efforts this time out at a very creditable 46.9% and Iorfa’s at just 16.7%.

Moore has discussed the need for Hunt to continue his loading in terms of training volume after a first half of the season battered by injury and illness – but if attacking thrust is required, the man out of possession right now could offer a fresh option.

A system switch?

The return of Akin Famewo to match contention doubles the club’s number of options in terms of fit and available specialist centre-halves.

Famewo was brought in with the left centre-half role in mind, but could perhaps slot into a back four alongside Mark McGuinness should Moore see that a move back to a 4-3-3 or 4-2-2-2 is the way forward, with the likes of Mallik Wilks and Alex Mighten then opened up for consideration out wide.

Oxford will come to play at Hillsborough you’d think – a defensive four has mainly been utilised against sides that come to spoil Wednesday’s attacking efforts with a low or mid-block. But some of their most fluent displays going forward have been with more players pushed up the field and more options out wide.

With Famewo back, the option is there to change things up.

The verdict

Wednesday’s come-from-behind draw at Exeter was yet another example of the side doing things grittier than before – a point earned where they may well have been surrendered in seasons gone by and a point closer to the ultimate aim.

Should the Owls stride out of this gully in attacking swagger as you would expect from a club with these aspirations, it’ll be a mere footnote on the end to a truly excellent calendar year in which to date only Manchester City have scored more league goals than Wednesday’s 100.

But with Bannan’s potential absence likely to force a re-think, it’ll be interesting to see how Moore goes about injecting new life into what has recently been a pretty sleepy attacking unit by the sky-high standards Wednesday supporters have become accustomed to.