Sheffield Wednesday will be without one of their newest signings when they begin their competitive campaign against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, with Billy Mitchell ruled out through injury.
The update comes from Joe Crann of The Wednesday Word and Alex Miller of The Star, who both reported on Henrik Pedersen's pre-match press conference ahead of the Carabao Cup first-round tie at Hillsborough.
Mitchell had hoped to make his debut following his summer move to S6, but an ankle injury has prevented the midfielder from training this week.
Pedersen remains optimistic that the setback will be short-lived.
"Billy has not trained this week. I hope he will start training Sunday again. We have to get him into the rhythm. I'm sure that in the next weeks he will come very strong back and that he will be a very valuable player for Sheffield Wednesday in the future."
The Wednesday head coach also praised Mitchell's impact since arriving at the club, adding that the midfielder has already shown himself to be "a big asset" through the way he leads and conducts himself in the dressing room.
McGhee faces four months out
There was more disappointing news for academy graduate Cole McGhee, who suffered a dislocated shoulder during last weekend's pre-season victory over Accrington Stanley.
The young defender was forced off shortly after coming on as a half-time substitute and will now undergo surgery, with Pedersen expecting him to be sidelined for around four months.
"He needs surgery. I think he'll be out for four months or something. It's disappointing and it's sad for him. He had a good pre-season, but it has happened before for him, so there was no other way than surgery."
Defensive boost for the Owls
There was considerably more positive news elsewhere.
Liam Cooper and Ricardo Santos have both trained throughout the week and are available for selection, giving Pedersen a welcome boost ahead of the start of the competitive season.
Meanwhile, Di'Shon Bernard continues to make encouraging progress in his recovery from long-term injury.
The defender is expected to begin integrating into possession drills next week before gradually increasing his workload.
Pedersen also revealed that the current target is for Bernard to make his return in an Under-21 fixture around the middle of September, although the club are determined not to rush his recovery.
The Wednesday boss praised Bernard's progress both physically and mentally, highlighting the leadership qualities he has shown throughout his rehabilitation.
Bolton also have injury concerns
Wednesday's opponents will also be without two players this weekend.
Bolton Wanderers manager Steven Schumacher has confirmed that Ethan Erhahon and Eoin Toal remain unavailable through injury, though they are his only absentees heading into the first-round tie.
With Mitchell forced to wait for his competitive debut but Cooper and Santos back in contention and Bernard edging closer to a return, Wednesday head into their first competitive fixture of the 2026/27 season with increasing defensive options and optimism that several key players are moving in the right direction.