'We try' - Henrik Pedersen makes Sheffield Wednesday rotation admission ahead of QPR test
Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen does not have the resources to make regular changes to his starting XI.
Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen has said he is trying to rotate his players as much as he can amid the ongoing fixture pile-up - but he has suggested it is not as easy as simply throwing the youngsters into the equation.
Pedersen has faced criticism from some Wednesday supporters recently for not turning to more of the club’s younger players than he has done amid the worsening injury crisis and recent fixture schedule.
Wednesday played their third of four games in the space of just ten days on Thursday afternoon, losing 3-0 to Preston North End at Deepdale, and will travel to Loftus Road on Sunday to face QPR for a 12pm kick-off.
MORE: Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen confirms Liam Cooper injury blow after Preston defeat
Rapidly running out of senior players, with Liam Cooper becoming the latest injury concern on New Year’s Day, being forced off at Deepdale due to a groin issue, the challenge facing Pedersen just to keep his players fresh is becoming even more difficult.
He has faced calls to introduce more of Wednesday’s youngsters to ease the load on Wednesday’s senior figures, such as Liam Palmer, Dominic Iorfa, Barry Bannan, Svante Ingelsson and Jamal Lowe, and the Dane has said he is trying to bed the young players in the best way he possibly can.
Pedersen opens up on limited rotation options
"Yes, of course, we need to change and that's why we also changed today [vs PNE]," Pedersen told The Star.
"Jamal was on the bench today because he has played so much, and he was really, really tired after the last game. So we try to rotate with the senior players one player at a time and then to integrate the young players as good as we can.
"I think to have Sean [Fusire] back again, it was good. Gab [Otegbayo], I think he does a lot of good things. Sean, Jarvis [Thornton], Bailey [Cadamarteri]... there are a lot of young guys who do all that they can."
Thornton banked a third successive Championship start in just seven days at Deepdale and was taken off after 66 minutes, being replaced by the returning Nathan Redmond.
Pedersen, who has been impressed by the progress Thornton has made in the past three games, has said he must be managed carefully.
"We try to give him around 60 minutes because if we go further, then the risks are too big for him, and also today we need to take him out because the risk is too big if we just let him play and play," added the Owls boss.
"So I think he has done it really, really well, and I'm very pleased for his performance."