Why Sheffield Wednesday have been forced to scrap Liam Cooper plan after weekend blow
Sheffield Wednesday have been forced to scrap a plan to build the match sharpness of new signing Liam Cooper this week.
The Scotland international centre-half arrived to Hillsborough last week after the club were granted permission to make some new additions to a threadbare squad. Manager Henrik Pedersen revealed over the weekend that the Owls were in ongoing discussions with the EFL over what terms they would be permitted to offer to another fresh face, with the likes of Duncan Watmore and Nathan Redmond known to be training at Middlewood Road.
Cooper signed on terms until the end of the season and after months out of action was rushed into his debut in the Steel City derby over the weekend, replacing Dominic Iorfa after the Owls stalwart failed to work his way through a knock to his back.
Wednesday had plans to start Cooper in the under-21s’ Middlewood Road clash with Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday. The run-out was designed for him to build match fitness after such a long period out. He would not feature in the trip to Millwall on Wednesday.
Iorfa’s injury appears to have altered that plan, however, with Cooper left out of the under-21s outing altogether. Speaking to reporters after the defeat to United, Owls boss Henrik Pedersen admitted it was too early to come to a proper prognosis of Iorfa’s condition but that there was a concern over whether or not he’d make the trip to The Den. The latest news from Middlewood Road suggests that concern has carried over into the week.
Though the likes of Gabriel Otegbayo, Reece Johnson and Joe Emery would remain viable options in the re-shuffling of the back three, the Owls may well be forced to call upon 34-year-old Cooper to be thrown into the responsibility of a starting spot in London well ahead of schedule. Cole McGhee took part in the under-21s clash.
Speaking on Iorfa’s injury in the hour after the Steel City derby, Pedersen said: “He dropped down on his back. He has had it before, the doc said we should change him. I don’t know how it is.”