Burton Blow For Brum

Wednesday are set to be dealt a blow going in to their huge clash with promotion-hopefuls Birmingham City this weekend - with the news Deon Burton is set to miss out.

The former Derby and Portsmouth striker suffered damage to his eyeball after accidently being poked in the eye during the Owls 2-1 victory over Coventry City last weekend.

And the damage to Burton's eye is almost certain to keep the Owls' in-form hitman out of the vital trip to St Andrew's on Saturday.

Owls boss Brian Laws told the Sheffield Star: 'Deon has been to see an eye specialist. It is expected that it will take three weeks for his eye to heal fully. But we are hoping that he has full vision in it by the weekend. He's a major doubt. It's improving, but we've still got to make a decision tomorrow or Friday.

'He's a bit down about it because he's constantly got his eye shut. Deon has been a star for us. It will be a big loss to us if he is out.'

Laws may well have to shuffle his pack at the worst possible time this Saturday with Steve Maclean, Marcus Tudgay and Leon Clarke all desperate to get a starting role in the Wednesday attack.

Tudgay has been used out wide on the right following injuries to Wade Small and Jermaine Johnson - but the return of the latter could see the former Derby hitman return to his favoured striker role, alongside Maclean who is enjhoying a rich vein of form.

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