Injury boost for Sheffield Wednesday as 31-year-old could return to face Barnsley
Sheffield Wednesday could welcome back Kieran Lee ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Barnsley, reports Alex Miller of the Sheffield Star. He may only be fit for the bench, however, due to a lack of match fitness.
The 31-year-old has been out of action for weeks with a shoulder injury, causing him to miss Wednesday’s FA Cup win over Queens Park Rangers (January 24), 2-1 defeat to Wigan Athletic (January 28) and 0-0 draw with Millwall (February 1).
His return is great news for Garry Monk but may not be so well-received by Alex Hunt. The 19-year-old was called up to provide cover in the engine room during Wednesday’s injury crisis and is now likely to be sent back to the u23s.
Lee has made 18 appearances in all competitions this season, making three assists. His last outing came in Wednesday’s 5-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers (January 18). If fit, he’ll be in the squad as Wednesday find themselves short on cover.
Massimo Luongo could miss Saturday’s clash while Sam Hutchinson has been frozen out of the first-team, so Monk has little choice but to throw Lee into the deep end. Joey Pelupessy started alongside Barry Bannan against Millwall and is likely to keep his place on Saturday.