Mystery absence of Sheffield Wednesday starlet Bailey Cadamarteri explained along with eyebrow-raising loan admission

Teenager Bailey Cadamarteri has been spoken about as a left-field wildcard option amid the Owls’ shortage of options up top, with Josh Windass, Callum Paterson and now Michael Smith on the sidelines leaving Mallik Wilks up top with Lee Gregory.

But under-18s starlet Cadamarteri – son of former Everton striker Danny – has been missing from recent squads in the club’s youth ranks and is expected to miss the remainder of the season, confirmed Darren Moore in conversation with The Star.

“He has picked up a knock and we don't think he's going to be able to feature in many more of the youth team games,” he said looking ahead to the remainder of a campaign during which he has played a number of matches for the under-23s.

“The knock will keep him out for the remainder of the games. It's unfortunate for him he won't be able to add to his goals tally and finish the season off strongly.

“But he's had a strong enough season in terms of the run that he's had and helping the under-18s into the final stages of the Youth Cup. At this stage we'd have liked him to get a couple of under-23s games but we don't think that will be the case now.

“We feel that could be to do with the growth spurt he's on at the minute, his body is developing and coping with the strains and pressures that games can bring. He'll make a full recovery but unless he makes a full recovery we don't think he'll make it back before the end of the season.”

The 17-year-old, a star man in Wednesday’s run to the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup, was given a quick taste of first team action earlier this season when he came off the bench late on in a Papa Johns Trophy win over Leicester City’s under-21s.

Moore also revealed that the Owls had received offers to take Cadamarteri on loan – remarkable given he doesn’t even turn 18 until May.

Cadamarteri was understood to have been the subject of admiration from a handful of clubs before he signed professional terms with Wednesday last summer – a three-year deal.

“When you look at Bailey, he's a boy in a man's body,” Moore said. “You look at him and you can see he has good size and stature. Credit to him even at the young age that he's at, we've had offers in for him to go out on loan. People just see this physical specimen of a player, one that is young and moves really well.

“His development is key and that's why we chose to keep him in the building; playing in the 18s, playing 23s and when the time is right playing in with the first team group. It's important for him to come up against the likes of your Flints, your Iorfas, your Palmers, Famewos. He won't get that baptism of fire in terms of his learning otherwise.”

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