Time for George Byers to show his Sheffield Wednesday worth during Massimo Luongo suspension

Those were the words spoken by George Byers last month on his return from a niggling injury that kept him out of action at Sheffield Wednesday for over two months.

Since then he has played only 55 minutes of League One football. But the stars have aligned and the time he speaks of, surely, is now.

With Massimo Luongo suspended for matches against Crewe Alexandra, Accrington Stanley and Burton Albion over the Christmas period, Wednesday are short of a holding midfielder and though the two play the position in very different ways, Byers can be that man.

By his own admission, it has been a frustrating start to life at S6 for the 25-year-old, who has featured in only five league matches in the campaign so far.

But with every respect to Wednesday’s next three opponents, things couldn’t have fallen much better for him if he is fit and firing.

All three are sides against which the Owls would expect to dominate the ball, offering the former Swansea City man the space and opportunity to work his undoubted technical ability.

That’s if he starts of course. In Luongo’s last absence, Byers too was injured and Barry Bannan dropped deep. But Wednesday have been a far fiercer attacking prospect with the Scot further forward.

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is the other midfielder in custody of a spot in the side but will likely take a spot further up the field.

Dennis Adeniran was rated 50/50 by Darren Moore for a return to action and should not expect to start straight away, while Lewis Wing was chosen as the man to come off the bench after Luongo’s early exit.

“The last few months have not been great,” Byers told reporters last month. “It has been a frustrating period not being able to play.

“Hopefully I have turned the corner now and I can stay fit for the rest of the season.”

Byers’ old manager Danny Cowley said this week that while he has the technical ability to play higher in the pyramid and for a number of reasons, last season’s loan opportunity at Portsmouth rather passed him by.

It’s time for Byers to step up and grab this one with both hands.