IN Pierce Charles and Harry Amass, Sheffield Wednesday are privileged to work with two of the most talented youngsters in English football. Manager Henrik Pedersen sees his job as taking away the "buts" to get their personal accounts into credit.

Goalkeeper Charles returned from shoulder surgery in Saturday's abandoned game at Blackburn Rovers and is set to keep his place at Watford on Tuesday.

It might not be the best timing in the world with a transfer window about to open where bigger clubs will be drawn to the 20-year-old, but it is a matter of time before the League One-bound club loses such a talent, so they may as well enjoy him whilst they can.

The hope is the Owls can extend 18-year-old Amass's loan from Manchester United into the second half of the season not least by impressing the Red Devils with how much they are improving their left-back.

Charles broke into the Championship side last season with a reputation as a goalkeeper who is outstanding with the ball at his feet, but his first two performances of the season were more notable for what he did with his hands, only for injury to cut him short.

"He's special with his feet," says Pedersen. "Before he got his injury, he also really showed his defensive quality, his shot-stopping, also (dealing with) crosses. He was a strong defensive goalkeeper and I think he has developed a lot here.

"With his feet, he has a special quality so of course it will give us more options to build up from the back, from goal-kicks.

"When we have our build-up against medium to high press, when they (opponents) press on the pass back to Pierce, he's so strong to find a solution here.

CROSSING ABILITY: Harry Amass, on loan at Sheffield Wednesday from Manchester United (Image: Steve Ellis)

placeholder image — CROSSING ABILITY: Harry Amass, on loan at Sheffield Wednesday from Manchester United (Image: Steve Ellis)

"Here we can start to work on the next level with this too.

"It's fantastic to have him back and it gives us some new possibilities for our ideas on the ball."

Amass is important to that too, but earlier in the season Pedersen spoke about how the England Under-21 international had to learn to love defending.

For both it is about doing the dirty work that will allow their best talents to shine.

EXCITING TALENT: Northern Ireland goalkeeper Pierce Charles (Image: Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

"We always look at is how effective the players are," says Pedersen. "A goalkeeper that is only good with his feet will not be a defensively effective goalkeeper. This is number one, to be top defensively.

"I think he's really (heading) in the right direction and with Darrell (Flahavan), we have a fantastic goalkeeper coach and he will make some big steps in the coming month.

"He's effective with his feet and he will also grow here. Now he needs some games to come back into rhythm and then I'm sure we'll have a really strong goalkeeper again. We are really looking forward to this.

"And the same with Harry.

NEXT STEP: Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen is looking to coach his young players to the next level (Image: Steve Ellis)

"To be a good left-back/left wing-back, they have to be good at crossing, they have to be good at passing and (scoring) goals, but if you are not defensively strong then there'll always be a but – 'He's good, but he missed this and this.'

"We have to remove the 'but' from both of them because they're young players with big talent and they have some top quality, but we also have to look at what limits them to use their top quality at the next level.

"That's why we also have to develop the other things, the basics.

"If you are left-back then you have to be a top aggressive, front-footed defending player who can win a lot of balls, who can intercept a lot of balls and defend in front, because then you can also start a lot of transitions (counter-attacks).

"You need to be strong for crosses to the second (back) post.

"It doesn't help if you (produce) two offensive crosses but we conceded a goal at the second post because of Harry. Then it's equal. He needs to have plus on his account.

RETURNING HERO: Nathaniel Chalobah (left) (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)

"The same for the goalkeeper. If he has 10 really good passes but we miss something defensively, then it will also be negative.

"So we're working on the human side. We're working on the offensive and the defensive side.

"But they're top talents with fantastic potential for the future."

Nathaniel Chalobah could make his long-awaited return from injury but Nathan Redmond is set to miss out with a groin strain.

Former Middlesbrough loanee Chalobah scored the Owls' first goal this season at Leicester City but was substituted six minutes later with a hamstring problem and has not been seen since.

The Owls have been carefully building him up to the point where he is now ready for first-team football. Redmond perhaps needs more work after what is expected to be a short-term groin issue.

Wednesday must decide whether to rest Liam Cooper after an hour on a heavy Ewood Park pitch. Max Lowe and Dominic Iorfa were on the bench, and could come into the side.

Striker George Brown is back in training, and Olaf Kobacki is due to have a scan on his groin on Tuesday which the Owls hope will give him the green light to build up his training for a possible Christmas return.