Sheffield Wednesday manager Garry Monk has said that he knows what a "successful environment" looks like in a football changing room, after being questioned about the recent absence of Owls duo Keiren Westwood and Sam Hutchinson.

It is thought that both players are currently training with Wednesday's Under 23's side, having fallen down the pecking order at Hillsborough in recent months.

Goalkeeper Westwood has not featured for the club since November, while midfielder Hutchinson has missed Wednesday's last five games, as the club continue to slide down the Championship table.

Saturday's 3-0 defeat at home to Reading means Monk's side have now won just one of their last ten league games, which has left them nine points adrift of the play-off places.

Speaking to the Sheffield Star about the situation surrounding Westwood and Hutchinson following that defeat to the Royals, Monk said:  "At the end of the day, I have been in changing rooms for 25 years and I know what a successful environment looks like.

"I have to make decisions for various reasons, that I think will help that environment, and that goes for the whole squad. What I will say is that every single player knows exactly where he stands."

Monk was also asked whether he felt a lack of experience - something both Westwood and Hutchinson would offer - was hampering his side at the minute, with the Wednesday boss responding by saying: "I don’t think that would help, we have already tried it. That’s not helped.

"It’s a case of not being at the level that you need, that fight for your life mentality, that need to win and strive for something a bit more.”

Hutchinson's contract with Wednesday is set to expire at the end of this season, while Westwood has 18 months remaining on his current deal at Hillsborough, securing his future with the club until the end of next season.

Monk has previously been forced to deny suggestions that the duo's recent absence from the side is due to a falling out with the Wednesday boss, who is coming under increasing pressure himself as a result of the club's recent poor run of form.

The Verdict

This is an interesting one.

If Monk feels that the likes of Westwood and Hutchinson are not making the required contribution to the side, then as manager, you feel he is within his rights to keep them out of the side.

However, his cause is not helped in that respect by the poor form that Wednesday are currently on, with the pressure for change to bring about an upturn results building as rapidly as their hopes of a play-off place this season have disappeared.

Given the ability Westwood and Hutchinson have previously shown, it could be argued they would be capable of helping bring about that improvement, and it will be interesting to see if Monk's hand is forced at all in that respect over the next few weeks.