Steven Fletcher returned for Sheffield Wednesday in Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Birmingham City, but he’s unlikely to be named in the starting eleven against Charlton Athletic as he’s not 100% fit.
The Owls welcome the Addicks to Hillsborough on Wednesday evening and may rotate one or two players to avoid fatigue. Fletcher was given 18 minutes from the bench against Birmingham but is still being managed carefully after such a lengthy layout.
Monk told Chris Holt of the Sheffield Star: “Fletch (is) not fully fit at all. The way we are with the couple of injuries we have had, where we are at and what we need to do, we have been forced into that situation.
“If we were in a better position in terms of the results we have had recently you would be able to give them a little bit longer. They are not fully fit but it’s needs must.
How will Sheffield Wednesday fare against Charlton Athletic?
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“For Fletch, yes (he will be on the bench). He’s only been training for three days. (He) had the mentality to come on the pitch. It’s great to have Fletch back.
“He was a big part, a massive part of the reason why we were third at Christmas and then to lose him…it’s no excuse, we haven’t done well enough in the period we have had.”
Fletcher has made 25 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring and creating 14 goals. The 32-year-old scored seven goals in seven league games before suffering a knee injury in Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat to Hull City (January 1) that kept him out of action for eight weeks.
Fernando Forestieri lead the line against Birmingham, but Connor Wickham may be in contention after impressing from the bench on Saturday. Forestieri can operate in a wider role or as a second-striker, so Monk has plenty of attacking options at his disposal.
Ahead of their meeting with Charlton, Wednesday are 12th in the Championship with 45 points from 34 games and are winless in their last seven outings.
