Coronavirus break allows Garry Monk time to mould his Sheffield Wednesday side

Monk only arrived at Hillsborough in September and has had to utilise the two-week international breaks to work with his players on the training ground.

But with English football in lockdown until April 4 at the earliest due to the coronavirus crisis, Monk intends to use the lay-off wisely.

Wednesday players – Monk confirmed on Thursday none had shown any symptoms of the illness – will train as normal at the club’s Middlewood Road training ground.

“At the moment, our next game will be Swansea, and this doesn’t change our preparation,” said Monk.

“It’s obviously an extended period of three weeks, but we’ll train as normal and we’ve already put a schedule together.

“We have to maintain fitness and training. Right now we are told our next game is Swansea and we need to make sure we are ready for that game working around these circumstances.”

Monk will hope the Owls can regroup off the field and benefit from the three-week lay-off.

They have slumped from third to 15th in the Championship, having won just twice in 14 league games, as their season has fizzled out since Christmas.

With just nine matches remaining, Wednesday – who have a large number of players out of contract in the summer – already look like a club who are planning for next season.

The caveat, though, is the threat of a possible points deduction from the EFL over the sale of Hillsborough which could toss them into a relegation battle.

The Owls had been due to play Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough today, before visiting Bristol City on Tuesday night and welcoming West Brom next weekend.

These three games will all now need to be re-arranged, and the season looks likely to be extended.

But Monk said: “It’s the right decision without a doubt. We have to follow the advice of the authorities, obviously it’s not just here, it’s around the world, so it was probably inevitable. It’s an unprecedented situation, so we’re all going into the 
unknown.

“We can only do what we are guided to do.

“It’s for the greater good, health is the most important thing of everyone and that’s far bigger than football.”

Unless the suspension is extended, Wednesday are due to return to action on Saturday April 4, away to Swansea City.