Jordi Liongola injury update as Sheffield Wednesday summer signing closes in on return
Sheffield Wednesday are hopeful their injury situation will continue to improve in the coming weeks.
Sheffield Wednesday interim boss Matt Hamshaw has not completely ruled out the possibility of summer signing Jordi Liongola being available for Sunday’s clash with Blackpool at Hillsborough.
The Burundi international, who joined Wednesday from Belgian club RAAL La Louvière in June, has been sidelined for just over two months with a hamstring injury.
The versatile right-sided player suffered the injury in training ahead of the Owls’ 1-0 defeat to Bradford City at Hillsborough on August 20. As a result, he has not featured since Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Leyton Orient at the BetWright Stadium on the opening day of the League One campaign.
He started the narrow victory over the O’s before being withdrawn at half-time and replaced by fellow summer recruit Louie Barry, who is also currently on the comeback trail after suffering an ankle injury at the start of September.
As Liongola demonstrated on his Wednesday debut against Bolton Wanderers in the first round of the Carabao Cup in August, he possesses the speed and athleticism that the Owls have lacked in the wide areas so far this season. He is also capable of playing at right-back, giving him additional versatility.
Issuing an update on the 26-year-old, Owls interim manager Hamshaw told The Star: “He's having limited minutes in training, so hopefully we might see him soon. Whether it's going to be Sunday or not, [we’ll have to wait and see].
“But I would think in the coming games, the coming weeks, you're going to see a lot of these players back.”
Asked if Barry’s ongoing recovery is continuing to head in the right direction, Hamshaw added: “He's another one who's had limited minutes. We all saw what Louie can do.
“He’s a big miss for us, and we can't wait to have him back. I think that the players that we’re talking about will have an instant impact, and we can't wait to have them back.”