Sheffield Wednesday's three changes explained as Owls dealt defender blow for Preston North End clash
Henrik Pedersen made three changes to his Sheffield Wednesday XI as they went up against Millwall on Wednesday evening.
Liam Palmer, Ike Ugbo and Jamal Lowe all dropped out of the Owls’ starting XI as they stepped into the Lions’ Den last night, with Liam Cooper, Bailey Cadamarteri and Charlie McNeill taking their places. The performance was better than the weekend’s when Wednesday succumbed to a 3-0 defeat to Sheffield United, but the points total remained the same as they were narrowly beaten thanks to Femi Azeez’s second half strike.
The fixture also saw Dominic Iorfa pick up his fifth booking of the season, meaning that he’ll serve a one-game suspension in the Championship - ruling him out of the visit of Preston North End this coming weekend. It’s another forced absence that Pedersen has to deal with, and he’s admitted that it’s far from ideal. The Dane also confirmed that Palmer and Lowe had been rested, while Ugbo’s absence was due to a family matter.
Dominic Iorfa is suspended for Sheffield Wednesday
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“Of course… Every single player who is out is like 10% of the squad,” Pedersen said with a wry smile when asked about the blow of losing Iorfa. “So it’s always tough. But Dom played a really good game today... We rested Liam today, we rested Jamal today, and Bailey and Charlie had a chance. We need everyone, and of course Dom being out is a blow, but it is what it is and the next player will get a chance.”
He also added, “Today we saw our boys back with a big, big heart, with a fantastic mentality and a good togetherness. They worked very hard against a very strong opponent and, with a little bit of luck, we could have got something today. We have spoken about how people can punish us without us punishing back and that we want to be the first to punish and to stand up for each other...
“I understand the fans were not happy Sunday, it was the day we had to stand up and we didn’t. But at Millwall, I can also understand why the fans were happy with the team and why they gave the applause at the end because the boys left everything out there to give a good performance. I am very thankful for their support.”
Ugbo, who missed the game in London after the birth of his child, is expected to be back in the mix against Preston, however the rest of the matchday squad is likely to remain the same.