Danny Röhl gives 'hopeful' prognosis on Ike Ugbo's Sheffield Wednesday comeback
Injury kept Ike Ugbo out of the matchday squad for Sheffield Wednesday’s dramatic win at Derby County.
Danny Röhl is hopeful £2.5m striker Ike Ugbo won’t miss a great deal more football after sitting out their win at Derby County with a minor muscular injury. The Canada international stepped out of training on Thursday during the warm-up with coaching staff taking a precautionary view.
Speaking to The Star after a late Jamal Lowe finish won the day after Barry Bannan’s barnstorming leveller earned another comeback win for the midtable Owls, Röhl spoke in relaxed tones when asked of Ugbo’s condition and suggested there were no major concerns over his medium-term fitness - though there was no guarantee he’ll be fit to step back into contention in next weekend’s home clash with Preston North End.
“It is hopefully just a small one but it looks OK,” he said. “Now the time is coming where if you have a small injury it can be one week but three games. It is good we have a normal week and we can use this for him. Dish(Bernard, suspended at Derby) is then back as well (for Preston), but you see we need a full squad. I am very happy that the subs can come in and it is great to see.”
The games continue to come thick and fast for Wednesday, though a lack of midweek match this week provides a beat for players to recover from back-to-back away days that earned six valuable points. Windass, who also played a bit-part in the back end of training last week having felt tightness at Hull on Tuesday, was able to come of the bench at half-time and made a huge impact on the momentum of the win.
Dominic Iorfa’s half-time substitution was partly down to a niggle he had taken into the game, Röhl said, though there seems to be little concern over his fitness heading into next weekend. Michael Ihiekwe is back in full training and made the bench at Pride Park, leaving longer-term absentees Akin Famewo and Olaf Kobacki as the only figures in the treatment room as things stand along with goalkeeper Pierce Charles, who has a small hand issue.