Huddersfield Town's Pipa problem remains as groin issue lingers on from last season

Whilst the attacking right-back is one of three Terriers players out of the League Cup first-round tie at Sheffield Wednesday injured, Covid-19 will put Rarmani Edmonds-Green and Fraizer Campbell out, and Isaac Mbenza and Juninho Bacuna will be frozen out ahead of possible transfers.

So impressive in its early months, Pipa was only able to start three of Huddersfield's last eight matches of last season, and was substituted in all of them.

The Terriers tried to manage the problem over the summer but their softly-softly approach does not appear to have worked.

"Pipa is not going to be involved (on Sunday) because he's only been working for one week," confirmed head coach Carlos Corberan a fellow Spaniard.

"He played against Fleetwood (in this week's pre-season friendly) and he continued having the pain he felt last season.

"He was following the advice of the doctors over the summer and he received some treatment but it didn't work in the way we wanted it to.

"The doctors tried to manage it conservatively, without any surgery.

"When he came back to the group he still felt pain so it was important to test him in a real game, that's why he played 60 minutes against Fleetwood but after the game he still had pain.

"It's something we have to solve or we won't see the best of Pipa.

"He won't be with the team for the next four or five days and after the we need to see if he can adapt again to the levels he needs to train with the team."

Huddersfield are at least better covered now with the arrival of Blackpool right-back Ollie Turton.

Aaron Rowe and Rolando Aarons began pre-season complaining of pain in their foot and knee respectively, and the problems have got worse, so both have stopped training whilst the club's medical staff try to get to the bottom of their problems.

Injuries were a huge blight on Huddersfield last season, which they started well, only to get dragged into a relegation battle after Christmas.

"We haven't so far had any muscle problems which can be more common in pre-season," said Corberan. "That's fantastic and very positive.

"For me it's the consequence of a long pre-season where we can manage the players' training better."

Edmonds-Green and Campbell are working their way back after bouts of Covid-19, but the players forced to isolate after coming into contact with them were involved in the midweek friendly against Fleetwood Town.

The absences of Mbenza and Bacuna is self-inflicted. The club want to move their former Premier League players on to finally get the wage bill fully down to Championship levels. Last season started with a move for in-demand top-scorer Karlan Grant looking inevitable, so Corberan refused to consider him until a move to West Bromwich Albion was completed.

"I am going to manage the situation the same way I did with Grant a year ago," confirmed Corberan. "I know both players have options with different clubs so I will leave it to the players and the club to solve.

"As a head coach my priority is to be working with the players I know 100 per cent are going to be here for the next next season."

Corberan would not comment on reports Huddersfield are about to sign former Leeds United centre-back Tom Lees who, like Jordan Rhodes, was released by Sheffield Wednesday at the end of last season.