Sheffield Wednesday are set for their biggest game of the season this Saturday as they face Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough.

A draw may not be enough to keep their battle going until the final day of the season, with drop zone rivals Derby County playing Swansea City after they've finished against Forest.

So the pressure is on for the Owls to grab all three points, but many pieces of news and gossip that has come out in the last 24 hours could threaten to unsettle the camp ahead of such a crunch game.

Let's round up the latest goings on around Hillsborough.

Players set for wages slashed

If relegation to League One does happen this season, then contracted Wednesday players for next season could have their salary cut, according to the Sheffield Star.

Many players on presumably high wages, such as Jordan Rhodes, Adam Reach, Keiren Westwood and others are out of contract at the end of the current campaign anyway so the wage bill will be shrinking anyway in the result of third tier football, but it could get even smaller.

The Star believes that some salaries could be cut by over a third, with the clauses in place to protect the club from loss of income due to shrinking TV deals from the drop in division.

 

 

 

 

Darren Moore return update issued

After a positive COVID test, Darren Moore was missing from the Owls dugout for weeks and returned for just one game against Swansea City.

Following that he was diagnosed with pneumonia and that means he's had to stay at home to rest and recuperate, with blood clots forming on the lungs as a result of the illness.

According to Dom Howson of YorkshireLive, Moore is getting better but he will as of now not be on the touchline to oversee his side take on Forest this Saturday, with his right-hand man Jamie Smith in charge yet again.

Windass, Rhodes and Pelupessy attracting interest

The last thing Wednesday needed before such a big game this weekend is a lot of transfer rumours circulating around their players.

That's exactly what has happened though, with a trio of players garnering new interest.

Dutch midfielder Joey Pelupessy has been linked with a move back to his native country's top league, Jordan Rhodes - out of contract this summer - has seen his former club Ipswich Town join the race for his signature, although that is led by another past team of his in Huddersfield Town, and Josh Windass is also attracting interest.

A host of clubs reportedly want the nine-goal attacker, with Premier League sides West Brom and Fulham joining Cardiff, Middlesbrough and Stoke City in the race for the the 27-year-old.