'So frustrating' - Henrik Pedersen addresses Nathaniel Chalobah's Sheffield Wednesday resurrection
Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen has said midfield enforcer Nathaniel Chalobah is currently “in a good place” amid his recent renaissance.
The former Watford and Chelsea man, who joined the Owls on a free transfer in July 2024, has banked plenty of credit recently after featuring in each of the last five matches.
Chalobah, 31, secured a second successive start for the first time in over a year against Coventry City at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Saturday, helping Wednesday earn a very impressive point after holding the league leaders to a 0-0 draw.
The midfielder, just as he had against Leicester City at Hillsborough on Easter Monday, played an important role in helping Wednesday get a point on the board, bringing defensive nous, a sense of aggression and control to the engine room.
Chalobah’s Wednesday career has been plagued by injury concerns, restricting him to just 27 appearances for the club. He has featured just nine times this season.
But having demonstrated on each of his last two starts how much more assured Wednesday look with Chalobah in the team, Pedersen has opened up on the midfielder’s recent revival, admitting his current mental state is being translated to his performances on the pitch.
Pedersen told The Star: “He has been so hungry to play again, and it has been so frustrating for him with all his injuries. There is no doubt that Nate is a good player.
“I took him out today after, I don't know, 70 minutes because he started to be tired. I think there were maybe five more minutes in him, but it was better to take him out, and then we go out with a smile and he can play again.
“So, I think he's in a good place right now where he feels good, and when you feel good it's also easier to play good.”
Chalobah, who made five defensive contributions against the Sky Blues, started alongside Svante Ingelsson at the base of Wednesday’s midfield against Frank Lampard’s side with Jaden Heskey operating further forward.
“Yes, him and Svante did it really well,” added the Dane, reflecting on Chalobah’s performance. “You could see Svante had a challenge with his knee from the beginning of the game. But Svante is so important for us.
“He has not trained much since the last game, but him and Nate were strong for us today.”