Sheffield Wednesday manager Steve Bruce has revealed that three key players could be available for Saturday's trip to Stoke, but that others face a "big couple of days" in the battle to fit.

The international break has given Rolando Aarons; Sam Hutchinson and Barry Bannan the chance to get fit enough to feature on Saturday after all three picked up knocks recently, though there is more concern around other members of the squad.

Quoted by The Star, Bruce revealed: “I expect Hutchinson and Aarons to be ok, we expect Barry to be ok because he’s training tomorrow so we’ll see how he goes.

The news is however less positive on Steven Fletcher, who picked up a knock in the 4-2 win over Blackburn before the international break, while the likes of longer term absentees such as Fernando Forestieri and Lucas Joao are still possibilities for the weekend, with Bruce adding: “It’s a big couple of days. Fletcher is a bit of a worry and a concern, he’s the main concern that we have got.

“Forestieri will be training tomorrow and will step up training - same with Joao and the same with Hooper. Hopefully there’s a bit of an upsurge in that but there’s a long way to go yet until he’s physically ready.”

The verdict

None of the players mentioned by Bruce here would look out place in Wednesday's starting XI, so to have even a selection of them available is a boost on what the situation could have been.

The challenge of breaking into the top six is a difficult enough one for The Owls as it is, so Bruce will be desperate of getting everyone fit as soon as possible to give his side any chance of doing so.