Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore has admitted that he is hoping that Harlee Dean will be fit enough to participate in the club's clash with Portsmouth on Saturday at Hillsborough.

Dean has not featured for the Owls since suffering a calf injury during the first-half of their victory over Milton Keynes Dons earlier this month.

In the absence of the 30-year-old, Wednesday have managed to pick up two wins from their last three league fixtures.

After dropping out of the play-off places last Saturday following their defeat to Wycombe Wanderers, the Owls climbed up to fourth in the League One standings last night as they secured a 3-2 victory over Fleetwood Town.

Lee Gregory gave Wednesday the lead in the third-minute of the clash before goals from Callum Camps and Joe Garner allowed Fleetwood to gain the upper hand at Highbury Stadium.

Gregory levelled proceedings for the Owls after the break and then completed his hat-trick by firing an effort past goalkeeper Alex Cairns.

Following his side's latest triumph, Moore shared an update on Dean.

Speaking to Yorkshire Live about why the defender was not included in the club's match-day squad for their meeting with Fleetwood, Moore said: "Harlee was a precaution.

"I left him behind to get more days of training into him and hopefully he will be back for the weekend."

The Verdict

When you consider that the Owls were far from their best in a defensive sense last night, they will be keen to call upon the services of Dean this weekend.

Since joining Wednesday on loan from Birmingham City, the defender has managed to produce some assured performances in League One.

Particularly impressive during his side's meetings with Cheltenham Town and AFC Wimbledon, Dean helped the club secure victories in these fixtures by recording WhoScored match ratings of 7.62 and 7.43.

Providing that he is fit enough to feature on Saturday, Dean will be confident in his ability to deliver the goods against Portsmouth as the Owls look to clinch a spot in the play-offs by picking up a positive result at Hillsborough.