Sheffield Wednesday: Massimo Luongo explains injury conversations as Owls breeze through fixture pile-up

By the admission of star man Barry Bannan it is the Australian international that makes the midfield tick and the numbers bear that out, with Wednesday having picked up six wins and two draws from the nine matches he has featured in at a rate of 2.22 points per match.

It’s a rate that would have Wednesday sat top of the league ahead of Sunday’s visitors Rotherham United.

Owls boss Darren Moore said ahead of their current run of 11 matches in 36 days that Luongo wouldn’t be able to feature in every clash – he missed last week’s win over Morecambe – but the temptation will surely be there to play him against the table-toppers.

A win over Rotherham – against whom the Aussie played a starring role in a 2-1 August win at the New York Stadium – could see Wednesday re-enter the playoff places for the first time since the start of October.

Luongo took a heavy knock and received treatment for a head injury in Tuesday’s win over Wigan Athletic but seemed to recover well and speaking after the weekend’s clash at Burton Albion, Luongo told The Star: “I’m feeling strong. Obviously it’s a heavy month, this month.

“For the Morecambe game, me and the coaches just decided that if I had to miss one, it was a good one to miss. The boys did great.

“We take every game as it comes. It’s not a case of saying ‘I’m not playing this game in three weeks time’, it’s just a case of managing how I feel.

“If I feel good I think it’s harder to take the decision to pull myself out. I want to play every game. And if I feel fit a raring to go, it’s even harder to sit out.

“The older I’ve got, the more stricter and harder and more disciplined I’ve been with myself, so I can do it.

“I think it’s important for the coaches as well, to have that belief. Look at George [Byers], who has come in and done really well. The boys have to be accountable and stand up.”