Reason behind George Byers absence confirmed as Sheffield Wednesday lose out to Southampton

The popular midfield Maestro missed the back end of last season through injury but was back to feature heavily in their preseason campaign.

The Star revealed before the match that he was suffering from a minor muscle issue and that he had been left out as a precaution.

And so it proved, with Wednesday bos Xisco making clear he could even be considered for Tuesday evening’s Carabao Cup tie with Stockport County.

“He felt a little bit tired with his muscles,” the Spaniard said. “We have another game in three days and we’ll see if he can play or not.

“He had a very good position, I am happy with him because of that, but now we keep him away so that he does not get a problem or something bigger.”

Wednesday lost the match 2-1 thanks to an 87th-minute Che Adams winner.