The EFL rule change that gives Sheffield Wednesday an advantage in promotion race – and has influenced transfer push

That has been the message all summer from Darren Moore and his recruitment team. And looking at the squad assembled – with one or two yet to come perhaps – they seem to have been successful in that mission.

Questions have now been asked of how on the club’s management go about juggling their squad and keeping everybody happy in terms of playing time.

Moore has explained that he has no concerns on that front, explaining injuries and form will require as deep a squad as possible. With a glut of cup dates to contend with, there will be adequate opportunity for each player to perform and impress.

Wednesday’s attempts at building an automatic promotion effort last season were badly disrupted by injury crises during and in providing direct competition in each and every position will be key, the Owls boss feels.

“Football can change really quickly,” Moore said. “People can think 'is it too much?' but it is not because things can change in a split second in football. We got injuries (against Rochdale) and one player is suspended.

“We have got Forest Green, Bradford, Barnsley, Plymouth and Morecambe coming up so this is where the squad comes in. Last season we had 11 injuries at one stage and we have learnt from that.

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“We are trying to protect against that. I'm not saying it (the injuries) will happen again. Hopefully it doesn't but we have to be mindful of it.”

Mallik Wilks became the club’s 10th summer signing earlier this week and in terms of the club’s attacking players, a new EFL rule allowing up to five substitutions per match will allow Moore to shuffle his pack up top more readily. The same goes for the fiercely competitive battle for ascendancy in midfield.

It has been argued that the rule favours clubs with deeper financial resources – and therefore more quality in their squad – and Wednesday have been put up as one of the clubs most likely to profit from the rule switch.

Having the ability to bring highly-paid players off your bench against clubs with much smaller squad depth may well prove to make a big difference over the course of 46 matches.

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It will also provide Moore and Wednesday with the opportunity to share the load on who plays when, a decision that will be driven by form.

“They will dictate to me in terms of their drive, desire, temperament and ability to keep performing in training and in matches at a consistent level,” Moore said.

“Remember this season that we have got seven subs and we can use five of them. We have got a programme where it is two games a week so you have to take all those aspects into consideration.

“You look at it the other night and Ben [Heneghan] limped off and we are back down to three centre-backs even though we have got five in the building. Things can change instantly in football.

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“We have got three positions in midfield and six midfielders but it only takes one of them to go down and all of a sudden you have only got five for three positions.”