Four big-name Sheffield Wednesday players make return to training as League One promotion race hots up

Josh Windass, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Harlee Dean and Olamide Shodipo were all pictured in training at the Owls’ Middlewood Road training base in preparation for their League One home clash with Cambridge United on Saturday.

It remains to be seen what stage each player is at with regard to their matchday comebacks but it no doubt comes as a huge boost for promotion-chasing Wednesday, who have welcomed back the likes of Lee Gregory, Lewis Gibson, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Dominic Iorfa in recent weeks.

It was initially feared that Windass and Dean could miss the rest of the season, with Shodipo also having returned ahead of schedule.

Shodipo’s return suggests he is likely to be registered for EFL action with the Owls after he was left off the club’s updated registration list earlier this year. The QPR loanee was not included on the squad list of his parent club and so can be registered for action at any point up until the 5pm deadline on March 24.

The return of Mendez-Laing and Windass – who racked up four goals and one assist in only 323 minutes of League One football before a recurrence of a hamstring issue in February – will be seen as a particularly significant boost to the Owls’ attacking areas.

Former Premier League wide man Mendez-Laing has played both out wide and up front for Wednesday, making a real impression on supporters before picking up hamstring issue last month.