Why midfield duo David Jones and George Boyd are out-of-favour at Sheffield Wednesday

Neither Jones nor Boyd have featured since August as Luhukay has persisted with his policy of promoting academy players.

Jones has played just once this season while Boyd has made three appearances. The pair, who are set to become free agents next summer, have not been involved since the Carabao Cup second round defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In recent weeks, Jones has played a number of second-string matches.

Luhukay told The Star: "David is 34 and George Boyd is 33. You look also to how you can bring a team further (along) and it has nothing to do with character.

"David and George are fantastic people with very good character. It is not a personal situation but you look to positions.

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"In the position where David plays, Barry Bannan or sometimes Joey Pelupessy play and in the position George Boyd plays in we have young players like Matt Penney and Jordan Thorniley. You look where you can bring the team further in the season."

Senior players Keiren Westwood, Sam Hutchinson and Almen Abdi have also found themselves out-of-favour under Luhukay.

Asked if it is difficult to keep everyone in the squad happy, Luhukay said: "As a manager, it is not a dream world. You can't make everyone happy.

"Most of the players who are not playing in the first eleven or not in the squad are angry. But they must be angry. They must only have one direction which is to play in the first eleven for Sheffield Wednesday.

"You can only make 11 players happy and the rest aren't happy. They are angry, frustrated or irritated but that is normal in football. You have to find the best way as a player but also as a coach to manage that."

A passionate, animated Luhukay defended his tactics and constant tinkering with the team in the build up to Saturday's Yorkshire derby meeting with Rotherham United. The Dutchman, who has received plenty of criticism following a run of one victory in nine matches which has seen the team plummet to 17th in the Championship standings, argued that he does "not have enough players" at his disposal that are capable of playing more than 25 league matches in a season.

"I'm not working alone," said Luhukay. "I have my staff. I have my sports scientists. We have three (sports scientists) and I listen to their advice.

"The fans were crying after 10 to 15 minutes for him but they don't know the physical side.

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"If I had not listened to my staff or sports science team in the last weeks and months, I'm 100 per sure that we would have five to 10 injured players. I take my staff's advice and protect players.

"When I'm not working in a team and I look at only the next game as important and all the players must play, then maybe we have more injuries.

"I came in January and there were 14-16 players injured. When I do the same job, maybe I have the same problems.

"We must work as a team and I must also take advice on the physical side from my team (the staff) and players. It is also important that I listen to their advice and in the end I make the decisions.

"I make the decisions to protect some players. When I let them play, maybe they are out for six to eight weeks or longer away from the team."