Lincoln City vs Sheffield Wednesday: Lewis Gibson absence and George Byers sub explained as Owls fall to Imps defeat

Wednesday had been big favourites for the clash, in which Moore made two changes in a reshuffle designed to bring George Byers back into the side after a midweek off.

It meant Jack Hunt was pushed back out to right wing-back with Liam Palmer preferred to Gibson in the role of left centre-half.

Speaking to The Star after the defeat, Moore explained that the absence of the on-loan Everton youngster was down to a need to manage the squad through their continually manic schedule.

He said: “He’s had 45 minutes and 80 minutes and to go to a third game today would have been a bridge too far, he had to go to the bench today.

“He’ll get a full week now to work and then he’ll come back. Those two games have done him a world of good so when he comes back next week’s games like one or two others he’ll be competing for a starting place.

“It was cramp [a minor issue during Tuesday’s win] and the turnaround was just too much for him. So we took him out of the team.”

Byers was substituted for the returning Fisayo Dele-Bashiru with 15 minutes to go, a call made with similar ideas.

“George’s was partly tactical,” Moore explained. “But he picked up a little strain and even though he was OK, we didn’t want him going past those latter stages. It’s about managing the group.

“It’s not an excuse but it is that third game in a week. We didn’t really create much and the goals we gave away, it just wasn’t us really.”

Dele-Bashiru came on alongside talisman forward Lee Gregory, both making a return after several weeks away.

With the likes of Chey Dunkley and Dominic Iorfa stepping up their progress, Moore is optimistic on the injury front.

He said: “We’re in a place where if we can get one or two more bodies back in the week, we’re going into three-game weeks and we want that.

“There are six games in March, there are six games in April. It’s really important we get those bodies back – and they are – but we want them back.”