Fitness update on key Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan ahead of Leyton Orient
The Owls beat Bolton 1-0 in the Carabao Cup on Saturday
Barry Bannan’s minutes will continue to be managed as Sheffield Wednesday now turn their attention to the new league season.
The Owls booked their place in the Carabao Cup second round with a 1-0 victory against 10-man Bolton Wanderers at Hillsborough on Saturday. Jamal Lowe came off the bench to net the winner on 70 minutes after collecting a wonderful pass from Bannan.
Bannan was given a rousing reception from fans on the Kop as he ran towards them before kick-off. And he marked his home return with a trademark pass to pick out Lowe. He was then given a breather with 10 minutes remaining, replaced by Sean Fusire.
Yan Valery, who only returned to training last week, was another one who was withdrawn late on, coming off for the last five minutes. Last season Owls boss Henrik Pedersen received some criticism from not making changes earlier in games but of course he would argue his hands were tied because of the lack of options he had, which will be much-improved this time around.
He explained: “I think it's important that we manage Barry, and Yan he couldn't run anymore, so we should change him. We will generally change earlier because we want to play with a high intensity. The tough position to play is the front four, and of course, here, we will change a lot. Many times we'll do it early. There is no formula for this, but there's a general tendency that we we will do it earlier to keep up freshness from game-to-game, but also to increase the intensity through the game. “
After sealing their place in the next round, Wednesday’s focus now turns to the opening game of the League One season, away at Leyton Orient, who also progressed in the cup after beating Oxford United 2-0, on Saturday.