Explaining who Sheffield Wednesday can and can’t register now the transfer window has closed - as injury concerns grow

Wednesday had a pretty busy transfer window this summer, bringing in a total of nine new players as Garry Monk sought to turn around the club’s fortunes, with only Chey Dunkley and young Korede Adedoyin yet to have made their debut.

Now, after the window closed, the Owls have to look at the free agent market if they’re to add any new players to their squad, and they can still do that until the fourth Thursday in March – after which no new players can be registered, free agents or otherwise.

Of course there is another transfer window between now and then during which any new players can also be registered, but there is a rule in place that means clubs can only have 25 players registered – eight of which must be home grown – at any one time, though players under the age of 21 (unless on loan) do not count towards that 25 total.

With that in mind, the Owls have plenty of space to add to their ranks if Monk so wishes, although – as aforementioned – that is no longer possible after the fourth Thursday in March as per English Football League regulations.

The EFL regulations state that player registrations are allowed outside of a window in the following situations:

- Subject always to the provisions of Regulation 43.3, after the expiry of each Transfer Window in each Season registrations of Players and transfers of registrations will, except as permitted in Regulation 57, be declined or will only be approved:

- Where the Player is an Out of Registration Player;

- Where the Player was last registered as or is being registered as a Scholar or Academy Player (subject to such conditions by which the Club making the application and the Player shall be bound); and/or

- If agreed by The League (including where the Player was last registered with a Club (or club) which has ceased to trade, including during the Closed Period) subject to such conditions as determined by The League and by which the Club making the application and the Player shall be bound.

For reference, an ‘Out of Registration’ player is define as ‘any Player who has not at any time been registered with a Member Club (or club), or if he has been so registered his registration (including as a Contract Player or Non-Contract Player, or equivalent registration in any other league) expired or was cancelled at any time prior to the end of a Transfer Window’.

In short, that means that – contrary to reports elsewhere – the Owls could still register some of their players who are contracted but haven’t been registered as of yet, such as Keiren Westwood or Manuel Hidalgo, should Monk feel that it’s necessary to do so.

It does, however, remain to be seen whether Wednesday are looking to add to this squad at this point in time, though any more injury concerns could force them into looking at the possibility of doing so.

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