Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith has recently returned to action following an injury lay-off. 

Wildsmith was between the posts for Sheffield Wednesday's Under-23's team, as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat to Leeds United, with Mateusz Bogusz scoring the only goal of the game.

Wildsmith could face a tough task to force his way into the the Owls starting XI though, with Cameron Dawson putting in a number of impressive performances in recent weeks.

Keiren Westwood is currently out of action, and Paul Jones is second choice shot-stopper to Dawson, so Wildsmith faces a tough ask if he is to give Garry Monk a selection headache in the future.

The Owls are currently sat sixth in the Championship, and will be keen to stay in touch with the promotion-chasing sides in the second tier as we head into the hectic festive period.

Wildsmith made 26 league appearances for the Owls first team in the 2017/18 season, but didn't make a single league appearance last season for them, with Westwood keeping him out of the starting XI.

He's out of contract in the summer of 2022, and so he won't feel as though he's in a rush to prove himself to Garry Monk at this moment in time.

But with Westwood currently out of the team, it seems as though it's the ideal time for Wildsmith to mount a challenge for a spot in the first team in the near future.

Sheffield Wednesday are next in action on Wednesday when they take on Derby County, in what could be a tricky test for Garry Monk's men.

The Verdict: 

This will be an encouraging update for Sheffield Wednesday.

The Owls have made a strong start to this year's campaign, and having competition for places is always a good dilemma to have for any manager.

I'm not expecting Wildsmith to to start for Sheffield Wednesday anytime soon though, and it wouldn't come as a surprise to see him loaned out in the January transfer window.