Clear update on when Sheffield Wednesday fans can expect return of Callum Paterson and others

The Scotland international has not played since a Boxing Day defeat at Coventry City saw him miss out initially through concussion protocol before a decision was made to undertake surgery on his knee. He has missed out on involvement at Middlewood Road this week through illness but will scale up his rehabilitation on his return.

Unlike Josh Windass and Kristian Pedersen, who the club have hopes will make a return to match action soon after the forthcoming international break, Paterson's injury will take a little time but Owls boss Danny Röhl suggested he is likely to play a part in the final weeks of their survival hunt.

Röhl told The Star: "This week it's a pity that he is a little bit ill, but all in all he is in the right way and he is getting closer. At first I expected him a little bit later, maybe in the April. But now we have spoken about maybe end of March or the start of April (back in training) and this is great to know.

"Of course, then after his injury he needs good training sessions with the team, maybe some minutes in the under-21 side and we will make this schedule. Maybe he will then be available for the last four or five games, you never know. It would be fantastic to have more players really available for the finals."

As things stand, a return for Paterson, Windass and Pedersen would leave Chile international Juan Delgado as the only player left working in the treatment room. Should the risk of any further issues be navigated successfully, Röhl expressed a delight in being able to call upon the trio and beef up competition within the squad.

"It's always great to have everybody ready to go," he said. "The international break gives us two weeks, Swansea then Middlesbrough and there will be decisions, then it is one week more and we will go again with the midweek matches. It's tough, but hopefully after the international break we will have nearly everybody back. It depends.

"Hopefully, after the international break, we will have nearly everybody back. We will approach this next week and for Josh and for Kristian it is good. Also for Callum, things are going well and then I can bring everybody onto the list and we will have everybody ready for the last games.

"We want a fight for every position in the squad, there is a fight for positions in the starting 11. It is so good to see everybody pushing for this. We have a great culture in the training and I see this week to week, how intensive we train. It is about taking the points because everybody knows where we are in the table."