With league football still paused, Wednesday's week has mostly been about getting players fit. Max Lowe, Sil Swinkels, Jordi Liongola and George Brown have all been pictured at Middlewood Road. A planned friendly fell through and was replaced by an in-house game. Sunderland U21 visit Hillsborough on Tuesday, four days before the League One trip to Huddersfield Town.
Four players closing in on a return
Before the pause, Henrik Pedersen named Swinkels and Liongola as the closest to returning. He said Lowe might come into contention after the Huddersfield game. Lowe's return would give Pedersen a decision to make, given Reece James's form. Liongola played wide right before his hamstring injury, which was before Kieran Morrison arrived. He can also play at full-back or on the left, which gives Pedersen options once he is fit.
Brown will take longer. Pedersen compared the young striker's recovery to Ernie Weaver's and is targeting the second or third week of October for Brown to step up his work. "He has been out for a long, long time," Pedersen said. "Both were some of our best players before they got injured. George will need more weeks to come back again like Ernie."
The main unknown is Ali Al-Hamadi. He was withdrawn from the Iraq squad with an ankle problem, and at the last update its seriousness was not yet known.
Friendly called off, in-house game instead
Wednesday had planned a behind-closed-doors friendly against a struggling Championship side this week. It is understood the opposition pulled out to manage their own squad's workload, so the Owls staged an in-house game on Thursday instead. That could mean more senior players feature against Sunderland U21.
Tuesday's Jersey Mike's Trophy tie kicks off at 7pm. Wednesday go into it having won their Group A opener at Salford.
Bernard on the Chansiri years
Di'Shon Bernard's 19-month absence ended in the win at Salford. He has now explained the Jose Mourinho meme he posted in June 2025, after players and staff had again gone unpaid.
"I got injured, then that stuff happened, not getting paid, staff not getting paid, coming into pre-season and there's no pitches, just a madness, no communication," he said. He described it as "one of 20 moments" when he could have posted something, and added: "I don't really regret it, because I think I had to do it."
He described the club now as "a much happier environment", pointing to the new gym and the work at the training ground.
Bigger plans for the training ground
That work may only be the first stage. A "campus-style" site built out from Middlewood Road is reported to be among the longer-term options, although no decisions have been made. The current site has room for only two grass pitches. Many academy commitments have already moved to the Sheffield Hallam University Sports Park on Bawtry Road. Arise have also committed an eight-figure sum to the stadium and to short-term upgrades at Middlewood Road.
One alternative is now ruled out. The former Mount St Mary's College site at Spinkhill has been sold for £3,163,000, and the club are understood never to have been convinced by a site so far outside the city. Pedersen said: "We have done so many things that are in the right direction, but we also know if we are thinking two, three, four years ahead, then we are thinking still bigger than this."
Slattery explains his move
Callum Slattery arrived as a free agent after five years at Motherwell. In his first in-depth interview as an Owl, he said the decision was an easy one. "It's just the size of the club compared to others. And, you know, the ambition of where it wants to go."
He was linked with Celtic and Rangers over the summer, but said nothing serious came of it. "I never really got anything from them properly, like we never got a proper conversation going." He also wanted a change, saying he wanted "to experience something different rather than the same 12 teams every season."
Slattery was the third of the 18 summer signings. He credits arriving early, when only seven or eight senior players were in the building, with helping him settle quickly.
Morrison and Gray on international duty
Kieran Morrison made his first senior start for Northern Ireland on Friday. He set up Ciaron Brown's header for the second goal in a 3-0 Nations League win over Ukraine, played in Trnava. Harry Gray played the final half-hour of England U19s' 2-1 win over the USA in Marbella. He came on for Reigan Heskey, the brother of his Owls teammate Jaden. Both are back in action on Monday.
Emery hoping to stay on at South Shields
Joe Emery, 19, has played twice for National League North side South Shields during a 28-day loan. Manager Mike Williamson has praised his attitude. "It would be nice to stick around and I'm sure we will speak with Wednesday and my agent about what could happen," Emery said. No extension has been confirmed.
A former favourite has also found a new club. Fernando Forestieri, 36, has signed for Oxford City in the National League North, subject to international clearance, joining his former Watford teammate Ross Jenkins.
Coming up
6 Oct — Sheffield Wednesday v Sunderland U21, EFL Trophy (7pm)
10 Oct — Huddersfield Town v Sheffield Wednesday (3pm)
17 Oct — Sheffield Wednesday v AFC Wimbledon (3pm)
20 Oct — Notts County v Sheffield Wednesday (7.45pm)
24 Oct — Doncaster Rovers v Sheffield Wednesday (3pm)
27 Oct — Sheffield Wednesday v Cambridge United (rearranged, 7.45pm)
Sources: The Star (Alex Miller, Liam Norcliffe), The Shields Gazette, swfc.co.uk.
Image credit : Northern Ireland FC Official