Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper dilemma as they look to make best of loan restrictions
For the third time this season, Sheffield Wednesday have been left scouring the market for a new goalkeeper, only this time they have a dilemma over what terms to try to sign him on.
Pierce Charles has been ruled out for six to eight weeks with his second shoulder injury of the season.
The Northern Ireland international missed 18 matches after he required surgery on his right shoulder in August. He injured his left shoulder in last Saturday's FA Cup defeat to Brentford.
That meant a senior debut for 19-year-old Logan Stretch, but the Owls are hoping to loan a goalkeeper with more experience.
It limits what else they can do as they had been told by the Football League (EFL) they would only be allowed two loan signings whilst a takeover of the club was in process. They have already turned down the opportunity to sign a player who spent the first half of the campaign at Huddersfield Town.
"He’s been so strong – defensively and offensively – in our performances and means a lot for our team, so of course it’s a big blow that he’s out for six to eight weeks,” said manager Henrik Pedersen of Charles.
"It’s his shoulder again, but the opposite shoulder from last time.
“It’s unlucky that it’s happened twice in such a short period, and let’s hope that it’s the last one for him and for all of us.”
Given the 20-year-old's growing reputation, interest in Charles was expected this month. It remains to be seen if an injury of this timescale will deter that.
But of more immediate concern is replacing him for Saturday's Championship game at home to Portsmouth.
"We can sign two loan players where the parent club has to take a big, big, big part of the salary, and the EFL has told us that we can’t have an extra loan for Pierce,” explained Pedersen.
"We have to use one of the two loans if we want a goalkeeper for the rest of the season.
“We also have the option to take an emergency loan for seven days, but then that player has to go back again. Then we can have a loan player from there, or go back. But of course we need an extra goalkeeper now."
After Charles' first injury, the Owls were allowed to loan Ethan Horvath from Cardiff City – the first new player they signed after the financial meltdown of the spring and one of only two summer additions, with Harry Amass.
Horvath returned to Cardiff City at the start of the year.
When he was sent off at Charlton Athletic in mid-October, the Owls were allowed to sign Joe Lumley on an emergency seven-day loan to cover the suspension. Emergency loans are only allowed for goalkeepers when a club is left with negligible first-team experience in their ranks.
Such loans have to be renewed on a weekly basis until either a senior goalkeeper is fit or one of the clubs decides to no longer pursue the arrangement.
“We have spoken with a lot of clubs, and (it’s hard) to find a goalkeeper that is not in the short-term plans who can be a good goalkeeper for us and where they are ready to pay something (towards the player’s wages). We’re working on finding a solution for the weekend,” said Pedersen, who had been hoping to use his loans to add two outfield players to a badly-stretched squad.
Zepiqueno Redmond – sent back to Aston Villa after injury ruined his loan at League One Huddersfield – trained with the Owls on Wednesday, only for the 19-year-old forward to suffer another problem.
"Zepi Redmond trained with us but after 20 minutes he left the pitch with some problems with his knee," confirmed Pedersen.
Wednesday lost 13 first-team players in the summer and have only been able to sign Horvath, Lumley, Amass, who is back at Manchester United whilst they decide whether to continue his loan, Liam Cooper, who is injured, and Nathan Redmond, whose short-term contract expires on the 26th.
The return from the Africa Cup of Nations of Tunisia's Yan Valery boosts the number of fit players who have started Championship matches to 12.
“We are in tight dialogue with some clubs to find a player who can help us, who can play as many positions as possible," said Pedersen.
"It’s not easy to just call and everything goes through. There are finances involved, but we’re doing all that we can.”
The Owls put forward a preferred bidder – who despite the coyness of other parties has identified himself as James Bord – to undergo the league's directors and owners test in the new year.
It is not known when Bord and his Short Circuit consortium can expect sign off to take over, but the transfer deadline for loaning or buying players is at 7pm on February 2. After that, clubs can only sign free agents until the end of the season.
Portsmouth are the only team Wednesday have beaten this season, 2-0 in September's reverse fixture.