Sheffield Wednesday’s squad predicament leaves Xisco with tough decision on injured star

The Owls currently have former Nottingham Forest striker, Taylor, on trial at the club as they weigh up a potential offer to the 33-year-old, with Xisco explaining that they’re assessing him before deciding if he can bring ‘something special’ to their ranks for the 2023/24 campaign.

With a number of years in the English Football League under his belt the forward would come with a wealth of experience, however deciding to sign him would mean confirming that Diaby - who was sadly injured on his Owls debut - would not be eligible to feature at all this year.

Wednesday have filled 24 of the 25 slots that they are given by the EFL for the first half of their current campaign, with Marvin Johnson, Ciaran Brennan and Diaby all missing out, however it was originally thought that the latter would be added to the list once he returned to fitness. The fact that they’re looking at Taylor suggests that he’s some way away from reaching that point.

The Star has previously reported that Diaby was due to face a lengthy spell on the sidelines, and while Xisco wouldn’t go into details on his injury he did confirm afterwards that if they were to sign a free agent then it would mean the Portimonense loanee would be unavailable in 2023.

“We will see, maybe in some weeks he’s ready - maybe not,” the Owls boss said when asked about the French midfielder. “I don’t like to speak about injuries to players because sometimes it’s a personality situation and they don’t want to speak about it… He has a process, and we wish all the best for him.”

Diaby had a strong debut before his injury, and his absence has been a continued blow for Xisco and his technical team. Signing Taylor - or any other free agent - over registering him will not be a decision made lightly.

After confirming that the striker had trained this week, the Wednesday manager said, ““As I’ve said before, we can’t have a mistake. It’s very difficult to find a striker at a good level for us. We have him here and I wish the best for him and I think he can give good things for us. If he gives a plus to the team, he’ll stay with us if he doesn’t give it he’ll not stay with us.”