Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore has suggested that both Sam Hutchinson and Liam Shaw could be back in contention to feature for the Owls after the international break against Watford.

The Owls head into the international break with renewed hope in their quest to try and survive in the Championship this term following their vital 2-1 win at promotion-chasing Barnsley. That win came despite Sheffield Wednesday being without the likes of Keiren Westwood, Shaw and Hutchinson who all missed out on the game having all featured in the draw against Huddersfield Town.

Moore was still able to mastermind a win that will give the Owls a chance of survival now with them just six points adrift of safety rather than nine. However, the former Doncaster Rovers manager will need as many of his key players back fit and available as soon as possible to give them a chance of picking up where they have left off from when the season resumes.

 

 

Speaking to the Sheffield Star, Moore outlined that he believes that Hutchinson is close to making a return to action and that he just did not want to risk him for the trip to Barnsley. While on Shaw, he revealed he had suffered a minor muscle injury from training and that he was also not risked but should come back in contention against Watford.

He said: “We’ll have a look at Hutch, and check on Shawsy. There’s a couple of bodies there that we’re hoping we could have back v Watford.

“Hutch was close, but we felt he needed another two or three days. We got the result without risking him.

“Liam picked up a slight muscular injury on Friday. He came in this morning and was still feeling his hamstring, so we just left it really. Hopefully he’ll be back in contention for the next game.”

The Verdict

This is very encouraging news for the Owls in what has been a rare good weekend for the club with them securing a much-needed win, and also seeing relegation rivals Birmingham City fall to a 3-0 loss at Watford. Moore’s side will need all of their most influential performers fit and firing in the last few matches of the campaign now if they are to pull off an unlikely escape act.

The Owls deserve credit for the way they performed at Barnsley without players like Shaw and Hutchinson in the starting line-up. However, you feel the pair will still be likely to be high up in Moore’s plans for the rest of the campaign and could easily come straight back into the team for the game against Watford.

Hutchinson will be an important figure on the field for the Owls with his leadership and battling qualities crucial for them during the run-in, while Shaw has the ability to bring added quality to the middle of the park. The pair’s returns to fitness will be major boosts and should help the club head into the international break in even better spirits.