Sheffield Wednesday duo Adam Reach and Massimo Luongo have made their return to training following spells on the sidelines, an update from the club's media channel has confirmed.
The news will come as a huge boost to Wednesday as the pair look set to return to Sky Bet Championship action before the end of the campaign. Despite the Owls being eight points behind the clubs in the play-offs, their return will certainly be welcomed by the Wednesday faithful.
Reach has been out since the start of February following the game with Millwall. The winger has been dealing with a nasty toe injury which was believed to keep him out beyond the upcoming international break. However, his return to training could imply that he is nearly ready to make his return to action. Saturday’s game with Nottingham Forest could have come too soon for Reach but he could feature against Bristol City or West Bromwich Albion next week.
Luongo has faced a slightly longer spell on the sidelines - not appearing in a Wednesday shirt since the 18th of January in the game against Blackburn Rovers. The Australian international was sent off in that encounter but despite having his red card rescinded, he picked up a groin strain shortly afterwards. The Owls have struggled in the middle of midfield in recent weeks so Luongo’s return will be great news for Garry Monk.
Wednesday’s season is finely poised with the club sat in 15th place in the Sky Bet Championship. A decent winning streak could see the club fly up the division and into the play-off conversation. The Owls are just eight points behind sixth placed Preston North End. However, the Owls will be looking for a couple of wins just to ensure their position in the division for next season.
Monk’s side are nine points clear of Charlton Athletic, and despite not looking like a side threatened by relegation, the Owls could still be sucked into a battle should they not pick up some more points.
The Owls face a tricky prospect this weekend as play-off chasing Nottingham Forest make the short trip up the M1 to Hillsborough looking to cement their place in the play-offs.
The Verdict
Reach and Luongo’s return to fitness could really help Sheffield Wednesday between now and the end of the campaign. Reach brings creativity to the side but also has an eye for the spectacular. In recent weeks Wednesday have missed that extra bit of flair going forward and have struggled to score goals. Steven Fletcher will certainly be one player to benefit from Reach’s return to the starting eleven has he looks to increase his already impressive tally this season.
Luongo brings guile and strength to the Wednesday midfield which they clearly missed when they travelled to Brentford last week. The Bees' midfield were getting a lot of joy in the centre of the park which allowed them to make Bryan Mbeumo and Said Benrahma more effective in the game.
Both Barry Bannan and Joey Pelupessy allowed the Brentford midfield to run rings around them. If Luongo was a part of their midfield on Saturday, Brentford would have had a much trickier test in dictating the play centrally.