Update on Lee Gregory injury as Sheffield Wednesday ‘turn the page’ on remarkable 2022 goal tally

The 34-year-old striker, who was last season’s top scorer and has been praised for his tireless performances if not a weighty avalanche of goals in this campaign, left the field with a back problem in the west coast win.

And after a double from his striker colleague Michael Smith propelled them to back-to-back wins to finish 2022 and a 2-0 victory over Port Vale, Moore reported good news on Gregory’s comeback timescale.

“It’s just a little bit of back spasm,” Moore said. “We’ll have a look at him for Monday’s game [at home to Cambridge United].

“We don’t think it will be that long, it’s just that tonight’s game came that little bit too quickly.”

There is concern over key man Barry Bannan after he hobbled out of the Port Vale clash but huge optimism over the season as a whole as the Owls moved to the same number of points as second-placed Ipswich Town – 49 at a rate better than two points per game.

“We keep turning the page and worrying about us and what we’re about,” Moore continued when asked how he feels the promotion race is shaping up.

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“I’ve just been told that in the calendar year we’ve got 97 points and 104 goals [in all competitions]. I want to say thank you to everyone at Sheffield Wednesday because everybody has been a part of that.

“That’s been the togetherness that I’ve wanted at the football club since I arrived here. We have to look at those figures and say everybody has played a part in that.

“But we don’t rest back on it. We’d have to say it’s been a wonderful calendar year but we want to start 2023 in the same vein.

“In terms of other teams, what will happen elsewhere will happen elsewhere. What I’m trying to do is live in the moment and enjoy the process.

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“It was a good three points, we put that to bed and we start to focus on Cambridge.”