Owls Down To Two Fit Strikers

As if things weren't bad enough for Brian Laws and his Wednesday side, injuries to Akpo Sodje and Leon Clarke and another set-back for Francis Jeffers leaves the Owls with just two fit strikers.

Former Port Vale man Sodje, who has made a big impression since making the switch to Hillsborough, was on his comeback from a previous injury but was stretchered off in last night's 2-1 defeat at Wolves.

But the recurrance of his old ankle injury could well see the lanky hitman sidelined for around four-six weeks, with the Owls knowing the full extent of his injury later this week.

The injury follows the news that Francis Jeffers suffered an injury set-back and will be out for six weeks, while Leon Clarke is also set to go under the knife for a cartilage repair which should also keep him out for between four and six weeks.

And Owls boss Laws was left to rue the bad luck on the injury front.

'Sodje came off with an ankle injury that looks as bad as the first time he did it. He's gone over on his ankle again. He's in a bit of pain,' Laws told the Sheffield Star.

'It's very concerning for us. Leon Clarke looks as if he's going to go in for an operation to repair a cartilage and may be out for four to six weeks. Sodje could be out for a similar length of time, and Jeffers could be out for a while.

'We go into this next month facing four games at home. They're going to be crucial to us. We need ammunition - at the moment we've got two fit strikers.

'We thought we'd turned the corner and we thought we had players fit; now we've had a performance like this and we have another injured player.'

Wednesday now go in to their hectic month of fixtures with just two fit strikers in the shape of Marcus Tudgay and Deon Burton, who are both set to get the nod for the visit of Ipswich Town on Saturday.

The Owls are unlikely to dip in to the transfer market before the close of the current window at midnight on Thursday, with Luke Boden expected to get a chance to gain some experience in and around the first team in the coming weeks, while Wade Small and Jermaine Johnson have also operated in attack this term.