Barry Bannan's possible Sheffield Wednesday absence opens the door for others to seize the moment

So you can imagine the panic when he went off at Exeter City last week clutching his hamstring.

Fortunately scans showed the damage to be no more than a strain but although manager Darren Moore was keeping his cards typically close to his chest, with a busy Festive programme looming, there is still a chance he will not play at home to Oxford United on Saturday.

It might not be the disaster feared.

This is, after all, the week France reached a World Cup final without injured Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema. When such dominant on-field personalities as the Owls' playmaker are missing, it can sometimes bring others out of their shells.

"We hope that is the case," says Moore. "Though the individuals make the team better they're not the be-all and end-all because we've got a group of players. It's for somebody else to take the bull by the horns."

Despite forever claiming he only thinks about the next game, the fixture list will be in Moore's mind when he makes his decision on Saturday morning. His team are at Fleetwood Town on Boxing Day, host Port Vale the following Thursday, and kick off 2023 at home to Cambridge United, before a glamorous January 7 FA Cup third-round home tie against Newcastle United.

"We'll only risk him if we feel he can get through the game," he insists. "If not, we'll take him out and know he'll be fit for the next game.

"His appetite is to play in every game but sometimes we've just got to look at the context of the injury and the season ahead. If he misses Saturday he'll be back in training by the early part of next week."

Playing without the man who dictates the flow of their games will give the Owls a different look.

"All our midfielders have different qualities – Baz, Will (Vaulks), Dennis (Adeniran), Fizz (Dele-Bashiru), George (Byers, in contention after a good week's training) and Tariq (Bakinson), I don't think there are two that are the same," says Moore.

"There's always a different blend when you put them in the pot but hopefully they come up with the right patterns, the right balance.

"They've got a great understanding of each other's games, they've been with each other long enough, trained over a sustained period and know what's required of them."

At least they have had good opportunities to practice for what they might do without Bannan.

As other League One managers were scrambling around to find playable surfaces, the Owls have been able to make the short jog from their training complex to Hillsborough, with its undersoil heating and much-improved pitch.

"We don't really like playing at the stadium because we want to preserve our pitch, particularly at this stage of the season where the grass isn't growing much,” admits Moore.

"But there's been times this week where it's been -7C, -8C and the covers at the training ground can withstand -5C but not beyond that for a sustained period. So to be able to be on grass and work is really good.

"There was lots of work on the pitch in the summer and a lot into keeping it that way. There's lots of grass on it, the ball moves well and the recovery state of it's good.

"We have a reputation in terms of how we want to get the ball down and move it and in order to do that you need a good surface. It's probably helped us to put us in the position we're in.

"We've also had the undersoil heating on all week.

"Had this game been at the majority of (League One) grounds, it might have been called off.”