Bolton Wanderers v Sheffield Wednesday: Pedersen must turn to youth amid unforgiving schedule
Bolton Wanderers v Sheffield Wednesday GIVEN everything thrown at Sheffield Wednesday so far in a torrid and tortuous summer, navigating a three-game week with a threadbare senior squad seems a mere trifle.
Owls head coach Henrik Pedersen would certainly beg to differ, just a few weeks into his tenure.
The Dane is partway through a crash course in management that no amount of seminars, video sessions, podcasts and textbooks can truly prepare you for. And he is forgiven for thinking what is next around the corner.
Pedersen’s side, backed to the hilt by a sell-out travelling following at Leicester City - who displayed the true essence of what supporting a football club should mean - claimed a moral victory despite being cruelly edged out late on in the Owls’ Championship opener.
Pedersen spoke with justifiable pride about his players’ efforts. With his manager’s hat on, he was also thinking ahead to planning and the next battles ahead amid an early-season schedule which is hardly kind for a club in Wednesday’s predicament.
After their midweek cup appointment in Bolton, they have less than 72 hours before returning to action at an emotionally-charged Hillsborough versus Stoke City on Saturday.
They must do that without one of their senior players who impressed on Sunday in goalscorer Nathaniel Chalobah, set to be out for a while with injury.
When things are tough, it never rains but pours as Wednesday and Pedersen are finding out.
Barry Bannan’s dismissal for two bookings at Leicester was also a development he could have done without.
The fact that he misses a cup game as opposed to a league one is at least something. As is likely to be the fact that the Bolton game will go straight to penalties with no extra time if it is level after the end of normal time - so as to avoid potential fatigue issues/injuries.
While many of his Championship contemporaries will choose to blood young players in this round of the competition for the next stage of their development, Pedersen, realistically given the options at his disposal and itinerary, has little choice.
Pedersen is likely to hand opportunities to the likes of Sean Fusire, Rio Shipston, Bruno Fernandes, Gui Siqueira and Reece Johnson.
Ike Ugbo, Olaf Kobacki and Charlie McNeill are also expected to line up from the off.