Talented young pair could step up for Sheffield Wednesday in Cardiff City FA Cup clash

The Owls are looking to book their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup and avenge last month's gut-punch late defeat to the Bluebirds in the league. They'll do so while managing a squad that has been tightened in recent weeks by injuries and suspension - and that has fought through a whirlwind festive fixture schedule.

January represents a chance to get back to the rhythm of weeks free from midweek matches and with a handful of players having made a return from injury in the 3-1 win over Hull City on Monday, manager Danny Röhl will continue to manage the squad through the back end of the midwinter fixture madness this weekend while looking forward to increased opportunity of time on the training ground.

"In the last weeks it has not always been possible for us to train," he said. "Now we have normal weeks and this is helpful for us to train and improve our play. So now you prepare for the next game and improve the areas we need to improve. It is important for us to find a good balance between the high intensity training and also sometimes individual training, some guys will need individual recovery and this is what we have to manage now with the performances and the load."

Youngsters Joey Phuthi and Gui Siqueira have been drafted into matchday squads in recent weeks, with rapid wide man Phuthi handed his senior debut from the bench in the Boxing Day defeat at Coventry City. While there is no sense that Wednesday will be taking the FA Cup tie lightly - Röhl spoke of the importance of continuing the momentum taken from back-to-back wins in the league - he suggested there may well be an opportunity to give them pitch time as reward for their efforts at Middlewood Road.

"As a starter this is always the decision, which position and when," he said. "It could be that they get some minutes. You can make your plans for how you want to manage the game but sometimes things happen to change the game and you have to change your plans again. For sure, if the opportunity is there, they deserve to get some minutes and that would be good. They deserve it because they have trained well.

"We want to have that signal to the players in the academy that the door is always open to make that next step to the first team. Let's have a look tomorrow (Friday) at who is available and then I will decide who might start."