Could returning Sheffield Wednesday man be brought in to help solve Achilles heel issue?

For months the squad couldn’t seem to catch a break – if that’s not too clumsy a choice of phrase – as one after another went down with long-term injury.

It was an issue left the likes of Callum Paterson and Marvin Johnson filling in in a back three as Owls boss Darren Moore clamoured for round pegs and square holes.

With Wednesday climbing out of a numbers issue they could end up with as many as eight senior centre-halves to choose from, with Harlee Dean pictured back in training alongside the soon-to-return Chey Dunkley.

Both have built a career on their organisational abilities and are known to be strong in the air, with Dunkley (7.6) streets ahead of the rest of the squad when it comes to aerial duels won per 90 minutes ahead of Jordan Storey in second (5.8).

Dunkley made his return to a matchday squad for the first time this year on Tuesday evening, watching on from the bench as Wednesday once again conceded from a set piece to let two points slip against Accrington Stanley.

Defending set plays has been a major Achilles heel for the Owls all season. Statistics compiler Whoscored put the number of goals conceded at set pieces at 16, which accounts for 39% of the goals they have conceded in the league this campaign.

It has prompted debate over whether the inclusion of the returning Dunkley in the heart of defence, with Iorfa alongside him, could help battle the issue.

“You could argue that,” Moore said, speaking to The Star last week. “They’re two men who possess a lot of stature and physicality.

“But also at the start of the season when we were getting to grips with it, we conceded one or two with them in the team.

“You could argue that point but at the same time, the defenders are all coming back, which I like.

“Sam Hutchinson is back, we’e got Jordan Storey, Iorfa is back into it now, Ciaran Brennan is in there. The final two coming back into it are probably Chey Dunkley and Harlee Dean.

“Once we get them back, there are a lot of rightful people in the positions where we were making do before.

“It adds size and physicality to us which is great.”

There’s no easy answer for Moore and Wednesday, who have sought to combat their set piece Achilles heel for months. With Moore preferring his sides to build attacks from the back, the ball-playing ability of Dunkley doesn’t match-up to that of Hutchinson, for example.

Speaking after Tuesday evening’s late set piece sickener, Moore said: “I don't remember Accrington having too many clear-cut chances, which is a testament to the team.

“And I think we have seen a massive improvement in terms of working as a unit on set-pieces, resulting in giving the opposition less chances to score.

“But set-plays are just another way of scoring goals and we have to concentrate on that.

“Tonight clearly shows we're not the finished article.”