Jordan Rhodes exhausted by five games in 15 days but Carlos Carvalhal backs striker to find best form

The on-loan Middlesbrough forward – who will sign in a club record £10m deal in the summer – netted on his home Owls debut, against Birmingham City, after just nine minutes.

But that is his only goal in six outings for Wednesday, and his misery was compounded last week when Rob Green saved his penalty to deny the Owls a draw at Leeds United.

But Carvalhal is a big admirer of the former Huddersfield Town striker – who famously netted four times in one game for the Terriers at Hillsborough – and is backing him to improve.

He struggled for first-team football at Boro, and Carvalhal believes the recent run of five Owls games in 15 days finally caught up with Rhodes.

It saw the 27-year-old eventually substituted at Elland Road, after 68 minutes, but after a week’s training – with no midweek games – Carvalhal believes Rhodes is refreshed ahead of tomorrow’s vital game with Norwich City.

“He was not playing when he came and when he came he played six games on a row,” said Carvalhal. “That is why in the last game he was completely exhausted and we decided to take him off because a player who doesn’t play, then plays five games in 15 days, it is hard to play 90 minutes.”

Rhodes’s six games for Wednesday, in 22 days, equals the number of games in which he featured for Boro all season.

“We believe that after this break he has the time to breath and train and I believe if he plays on Saturday he can perform better than in the previous games.

“People can train, but playing is another matter and the reality is that he was not playing and I believe he will do better.

“This game is different compared to previous games. We played five games in 15 games and the last game we didn’t play in the same circumstances.

“Against Leeds we played face-by-face and we were the better team, in my opinion, though we lost.”

Sixth-placed Wednesday have a five-point buffer over nearest rivals Fulham – who have a game in hand – while the Canaries are a point further back in eighth.

Carvalhal must decide whether Rhodes will keep the penalty-taker’s role after his missed spot-kick at Elland Road.

It is the second penalty Wednesday have missed recently, after Fernando Forestieri failed with his spot-kick at Brighton.

“It is something that we will look at (today) to prepare the game more specific and it is something we will decide about that,” said Carvalhal.

“The last two penalties Fernando missed and Jordan missed too. But we will decide absolutely sure before Saturday.”

Relegated from the Premier League last season, Norwich were tipped for automatic promotion this year, but the play-offs look their best chance now.

Carvalhal, who is hoping to welcome back Gary Hooper after injury, said: “Norwich are one of the strongest sides in the competition; the teams that get relegated are the strongest.

“We know why it is important to respect Norwich, but also look to ourselves, try to improve our football and upgrade our football and play better and better,” he added.