I watched Sheffield Wednesday vs West Brom and 6-week injury concern could be a massive blow for Danny Röhl

Former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer has expressed his concern as to how Danny Röhl replaces the injured Barry Bannan.

Wednesday captain Bannan missed his side’s 2-1 weekend defeat at West Brom due to a knock, his first injury-related matchday absence since October 2023. The Star reported on Friday that the 35-year-old will see a specialist, with uncertainty over the nature or severity of his issue.

Saturday’s defeat was only the second game all season Bannan missed but that number could quickly rise, with Röhl admitting last week it ‘could be four weeks, six weeks, it could be seven days.’ Wednesday fans will be desperate to learn it is the latter but a longer-term absence could prove a real problem going into a crucial part of the campaign.

“I’ve got to be honest, I am a big fan of Barry Bannan as a bloke and as a football player, but I thought he would struggle in the Championship this season leg wise,” Palmer told Football League World. “But he has been absolutely outstanding.

“I have watched him play a few times this season, I saw him play against QPR a couple of weeks ago and he absolutely ran the show, he was all over the place. I was at the game at West Brom on Saturday, I thought Sheffield Wednesday deserved at least a point, but they missed Barry Bannan.

“They missed his guile, they missed his energy, they missed the fact he would be getting after players, on the football pitch he is a leader. Even if he isn’t playing well, he gets after players and makes sure they are doing their jobs, so it is a massive, massive blow for them.”

Wednesday head to Swansea City this evening hoping to bounce back from Saturday’s defeat, which saw them drop out of the top 10. Bannan is expected to miss out again, just his third absence of the season, with January signing Stuart Armstrong the likely replacement once again.

Fortunately, Wednesday added experience in midfield last month while also welcoming Shea Charles back, following his recall by parent club Southampton. Without that, the Owls would be close to a crisis in midfield.

They are certainly short of options at the back, particularly if Di’Shon Bernard’s injury is as bad as first feared. The Jamaican international was forced off during the first half of Saturday’s defeat at the Hawthorns, with Röhl admitting immediately after the result it could be a ‘big injury’.

“Not good,” Röhl told The Star with regards to Bernard last weekend. “It could be a big one, a big injury. This is very sad for him. With Barry, we do not know when he is back and it could be a longer one; it could be four weeks, six weeks, it could be seven days. At the moment we are not sure and it is a difficult one.

“I am convinced though that we can get the next chance. I said this before, we must be positive. We have 24 hours to take the defeat and then we will go again.”