Sheffield Wednesday boss Jos Luhukay has been handed a big boost with defender Joost Van Aken set to return to training.

The Owls have been hit by an extremely unfortunate injury crisis that has seen around a dozen players missing at certain times this season.

As well as that, many of those have been key players, although they are now beginning to come back into the fold.

Tom Lees and Barry Bannan are closing in on a return to training and the new boss also told the media today that Van Aken was set to begin working with the group again soon.

The Dutch centre-back came off after an hour against Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day with a hamstring injury and hasn’t played since.

A summer signing from Heerenveen, the 23-year old had begun to impress fans at Hillsborough with his defensive ability combined with his excellent range of passing.

Van Aken is extremely comfortable on the ball and could play a key part in starting attacks from the back if Luhukay persists with the 3-5-2 formation that has brought initial success.

The Verdict

This is good news for Owls fans who will be desperate to see their key players get back out on the pitch.

There’s still a lot of absentees but this season is now about building for next season and Luhukay will want to assess the squad over the summer.

With that in mind, he will be glad to have Van Aken back who could go on to become an important figure under the new regime.

Thoughts, Wednesday fans? Let us know in the comments below.