Everything Sheffield Wednesday boss Tony Pulis said on the fitness of key man Barry Bannan ahead of Norwich City trip
Sheffield Wednesday face a nervous wait on the fitness of key man Barry Bannan as they head into Saturday’s clash with table-topping Norwich City.
The Owls captain took a heavy knock to his ankle in the midweek draw with Reading and despite his protestations was substituted at half-time.
Up until then he had been an ever-present in what has been a gruelling Championship fixture schedule so far, a work load his manager Tony Pulis is keen to keep an eye on heading into the weekend.
Massimo Luongo and Liam Shaw will miss the trip to the table-topping Canaries through suspension, leaving holes for Pulis to fill in the middle of the park.
The Owls boss said: “We’ve got the two suspended and Baz was in getting treatment yesterday, so we’ll take a view on him later on today.
“The lads aren’t training until this afternoon so they can have a rest and we’re trying with the medical people to put in place a system where the players can rest as much as they can because of the amount the players are being asked to play.
“The preparation with what we do off the pitch is almost as important as on the pitch at the moment.”
Should Bannan be ruled unfit, he would join a long list of injured players including long-term absentees Aden Flint and Jack Marriott, who have returned to their parent clubs for treatment.
The absence of Bannan would be a hammer blow to Wednesday, though they do make the trip to Carrow Road boosted by the return of Josh Windass up front following his return from suspension.
Aside from the little Scot, the Owls have no fresh injury concerns to deal with.
“Barry is the only one that we’ll check on,” Pulis said. “He won’t do a lot today whichever way we cook it and then there is a decision for me to make, whether I start him.
“I know Barry and he’ll desperately want to play so it’s whether I start him, bring him on if we need him or keep him for the up and coming games. I’ll make that decision in the next 24 hours.”