Owls Suffer Simek Blow

Wednesday may have let go of all three points against Crystal Palace on Saturday, but they could be set for a bigger blow with an injury to star defender Frank Simek.

The American right-back hobbled off the Selhurst Park pitch in the clash with the Eagles on Saturday with a freak injury, after appearing to dig his studs in to the hard pitch after picking up a pass from Wade Small.

And the former Arsenal youth product could well be sidelined for a number of matches following the injury, with ankle ligament damage the expected outcome at present.

Owls boss Brian Laws told the Sheffield Star: 'Frankie's ankle isn't broken. I would suspect ankle ligaments . It doesn't look good.

'Sometimes this kind of injury can be as bad as a break. We'll know more when Frankie has had his scan.'

The injury came at the worst possible time for Simek, who was making his 100th league start for the Owls, who were 1-0 up at Neil Warnock's Palace thanks to an early Richard Hinds strike.

But now Owls boss Laws faces further injury woe over the hectic Christmas schedule, but he insists he has cover.

Laws added: 'Even if we sign Michael Johnson permanently, we can't do it until January, so he'll miss a couple of games.

'But we have Peter Gilbert fit; Mark Beevers will come into the picture; Lee Bullen came on on Saturday and Steve Watson can go in there at the back.'