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To say this summer has not gone to plan for Sheffield Wednesday would be an understatement. Now, with just days remaining until the start of the season, we look at what selection options Henrik Pedersen actually has.
Amid the ongoing financial crisis at Sheffield Wednesday, players have been leaving the club in their droves. Top scorers like Josh Windass and Michael Smith terminated their contracts, while Djeidi Gassama was sold to help balance the books.
With the Owls under a transfer ban and unable to pay a fee for any new players, there have been no new arrivals in S6 this summer.
Now, new manager Henrik Pedersen takes his team into the opening fixture against Leicester City and to be honest, the Owls boss won’t have many selection decisions to make, given his squad is at bare bones.
Ahead of the game, we look at who is actually available for Sheffield Wednesday.
- READ MORE: EFL expert says Sheffield Wednesday are destined to break miserable Championship record in 2025/26
Most likely Sheffield Wednesday XI to face Leicester City
Pierce Charles
Pierce Charles was always going to be Sheffield Wednesday’s number one this season anyway, but the Owls don’t really have much choice, given he’s the only first-team goalkeeper in the squad. Charles is wanted by top flight clubs, but Wednesday simply cannot afford to let him go.
Yan Valery
With Pol Valentin leaving on a free transfer this summer, Yan Valery now has a clear run at the right-back role this season. He’s a fairly dependable player, to be fair, and offers plenty going forward as well as defensively.
Di’Shon Bernard
Di’Shon Bernard was one of Sheffield Wednesday’s top performers last season and they’ll need him to be at his best again this term. He did come out in support of Danny Rohl after the former Owls boss left the club, but hopefully he’s still committed to the cause.
Dominic Iorfa
Experienced defender Dominic Iorfa has his fair share of critics and he’ll have to get off to a good start this season if he’s to keep his place in the starting XI. Gabriel Otegbayo made a breakthrough last year, and will be desperate to establish himself further this season.
Liam Palmer
It’s far from ideal, but Wednesday veteran Liam Palmer is probably going to have to slot in at left-back for the foreseeable future. The 33-year-old usually plays on the right or in the middle of the park, but with Marvin Johnson and Ryo Hatsuse departing this summer, there’s literally no other option for Pedersen unless he calls on youth players like Reece Johnson.
Barry Bannan
The one bit of good news for Sheffield Wednesday fans is that Barry Bannan signed a new contract to extend his stay at Hillsborough. The club captain will have the weight of S6 on his shoulders this season, and he’ll be dragging the team through the trenches.
Nathaniel Chalobah
Alongside Bannan in the middle will likely be Nathaniel Chalobah. He made a slow start to his Owls career with fitness issues holding him back, but he eventually worked his way into the team and looked assured. He’ll need to bring all his experience this term to help Wednesday stay solid in midfield.
Charlie McNeill
Henrik Pedersen likes to play a 4-2-3-1 formation ideally. Wednesday are very short on wide options right now, though, so youngster Charlie McNeill may have to play out on the right rather than through the middle as he prefers.
Svante Ingelsson
One of Danny Rohl’s new signings last summer, Svante Ingelsson took some time to adapt to English football but did show real signs of promise. He’s very athletic and creative, and could really make that number 10 role his own this term.
Olaf Kobacki
Olaf Kobacki was something of a forgotten man last season for Sheffield Wednesday due to injury, but he’ll now have a key role to play this season. The Polish winger has no competition for his place on the left, but will still be hungry to prove his worth after a disappointing 2024/25.
Ike Ugbo
Interestingly, the striker role is one where Pedersen has the luxury of having a few options to choose from. Ike Ugbo failed to score in the Championship last season, but did bag a goal in pre-season recently so may be given the nod. Don’t be surprised to see either Jamal Lowe or youngster Bailey Cadamarteri selected instead, though.
- READ MORE: How Henrik Pedersen played key role in persuading Barry Bannan to stay at Sheffield Wednesday
Who will be on the bench for Sheffield Wednesday?
The Owls have no senior goalkeepers in reserve, so Pedersen will have to look at the Under-21s for someone to play back-up to Pierce Charles. Killian Barrett is the most likely to make that step up.
Max Lowe handed his notice in last week, so he may not be at the club much longer. For that reason, we have basically excluded him from the starting line-up for this weekend, but he’ll still surely feature on the bench alongside Otegbayo.
Owls youngster Sean Fusire will get minutes this season and while he’s unlikely to start just yet, he will probably be called upon by Pedersen on Sunday at some point.
As we mentioned above, Jamal Lowe and Bailey Cadamarteri are most likely to be on the bench this weekend, but could easily find themselves as the top striker for Wednesday if Ugbo can’t find his shooting boots.
To make up the numbers, Pedersen will likely look at Sheffield Wednesday youngsters like Guilherme Siqueria, Mackenzie Maltby, Rio Shipston, and Will Grainger.