Henrik Pedersen issues injury update on forgotten Sheffield Wednesday attacker Olaf Kobacki
Sheffield Wednesday are still in the process of recovering Olaf Kobacki after a lengthy injury lay-off.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen has revealed winger Olaf Kobacki will require a ‘mini pre-season’ before he is considered for selection following a lengthy injury lay-off.
The 24-year-old, who joined Wednesday from Polish club Arka Gdynia in July 2024, has been absent since September because of a groin issue, last featuring in the 1-0 defeat to Grimsby Town in the third round of the Carabao Cup at Hillsborough.
Missing each of the last 22 matches, it has been a lengthy stint on the sidelines for the winger, who started two of the Owls’ first five Championship matches this season prior to his injury.
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However, in training ground images published by the club last Wednesday, Kobacki was pictured back in training alongside the rest of his teammates, offering encouragement that his return might not be too far away. Owls chief Pedersen is desperate to recover his injured players as quickly as possible to increase the level of depth available to him.
Kobacki, who made six appearances across all competitions prior to his injury earlier this term, will, though, require more time to get himself up to speed before he is ready to make his long-awaited return, with Pedersen insisting it will still be a few more weeks before he is back in contention.
Pedersen shares Kobacki latest
“Olaf is fresh now, but it's many, many weeks and months since he really played football,” Pedersen told The Star. “He needs to have a mini pre-season to get this basic before we can minimise the risk for him to play.
“It will take some weeks for sure.”
Meanwhile, Pedersen also confirmed that Wednesday are still waiting to find out exactly how long striker Iké Ugbo will be sidelined for. The former Chelsea man has missed each of the last six games after experiencing some tightness in the back of his hamstring ahead of the 2-2 draw with Hull City on Boxing Day.
Asked for an update on the striker, Pedersen added: “It's more or less the same. He's still training beside the main group because he still has a challenge to really sprint. So there's a nerve on the backside [of his hamstring] and he still has trouble with this.
“Right now, I'm unsure [how long he will be out].”