Sheffield Wednesday release new injury update that could derail Middlesbrough agreement

Henrik Pedersen has been handed a rare piece of encouragement after it emerged that goalkeeper Pierce Charles could return from injury earlier than first expected.

Relegation has long since been confirmed for Sheffield Wednesday, but that hasn’t halted their dreadful run of form. Saturday’s 3-1 loss at Hillsborough to Southampton marked a 12th straight defeat and their 29th since their sole Championship victory of the campaign — a win at Portsmouth back in September.

They were officially consigned to the drop following a 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United in the Steel City derby, before suffering another setback away at Norwich City in midweek. Remarkably, that triumph at Portsmouth remains their only league win, and they are yet to claim a home victory.

The club are on track for a record-low Championship points total and could even become the first side in the Football League’s 138-year history to finish a season with a negative tally.

Off the pitch, matters have been no steadier. A proposed takeover led by professional gambler James Bord has collapsed, leaving the club facing the prospect of beginning next season in League One with a 15-point deduction.

Amid the chaos, however, there is some positive news. Reports suggest Charles is edging closer to a first-team comeback and could feature within the next two fixtures — an away trip to Derby County followed by a home clash with Watford on March 10.

The Northern Ireland international has been sidelined since sustaining a shoulder injury in an FA Cup tie against Brentford in early January. When fellow loanee Murphy Cooper was also ruled out, the Owls turned to Seny Dieng on an emergency seven-day loan from Middlesbrough, renewable with EFL approval. Charles’ return would end the club’s eligibility to keep Dieng registered, meaning he would head back to Middlesbrough for the remainder of the season.

While there is little left to fight for on the pitch, Pedersen is still effectively auditioning for his role amid the uncertainty surrounding ownership. A transfer embargo has severely limited his options, offering some context to the team’s struggles, but a strong finish could yet influence the thinking of any incoming owner.

The goalkeeping turmoil has encapsulated Wednesday’s season. Five different keepers have featured in the Championship: Charles has made nine league appearances; Cooper two; Joe Lumley also two during an earlier loan spell; Ethan Horvath 14 on loan from Cardiff City; and Dieng three so far. That instability has hardly helped a side that has conceded 71 goals in 35 matches — comfortably the worst defensive record in the division.

Whether Charles’ return will be enough to influence Pedersen’s long-term future remains to be seen, but after a season defined by setbacks, his comeback would at least offer a small measure of optimism at Hillsborough.