Grant gets the nod to resume training with Sheffield Wednesday

The Owls' No 1 was forced to undergo a shoulder operation during the summer and missed the club's week's training camp in Austria to concentrate on his recuperation.

That fitness plan seems to have paid off after a visit to a specialist on Thursday gave the goalkeeper – who has been linked with a summer move away from Hillsborough to Burnley and Celtic – the green light to resume training.

"Lee is doing really well," said manager Alan Irvine. "We had him at a specialist on Thursday – the specialist was absolutely delighted, couldn't believe how far ahead he was of schedule so we're really, really pleased about how Lee is doing.

"He's now doing some training with the goalkeepers, with Andy Rhodes, so that's pleasing, and that's definitely well ahead of schedule. So great progress so far and hopefully that will continue."

Youngsters Richard O'Donnell and Arron Jameson have taken the gloves so far in pre-season, but the return of former Derby County stopper Grant will be a major bonus for Irvine, whose Owls side travel to Grimsby Town today for a friendly, but will be without the injured trio of Darren Purse, Tommy Spurr and Giles Coke.

"We have a couple of little niggles. Darren Purse had an injection in his toe which we knew he was getting done anyway prior to him playing in the couple of games that he has played in so far, so he won't be available for Grimsby. He will start training again on Monday.

"Tommy Spurr just tweaked his ankle ligaments yesterday, and that is probably a bit too sore, but again I expect him back in the early part of next week, and Giles Coke has obviously got the problem that he had the other night so again he won't be in contention but otherwise everyone else is okay."

Irvine will resist giving new signing Clinton Morrison his debut today, but has been delighted with the form of his other three strikers, Marcus Tudgay, Neil Mellor and Paul Heffernan who all got on the scoresheet in midweek games against local sides Hallam FC and Stocksbridge Park Steels.

Wednesday hammered in 15 goals in the two games on Tuesday evening, Mellor netting four against Stocksbridge, Jermaine Johnson two, while Hallam conceded nine as Tudgay bagged a hat-trick and former Doncaster Rovers striker Heffernan picked up a couple.

Irvine said: "It's probably too early for Clinton to play. We wouldn't have asked the rest of the lads to play a game after just two days' training so we have to treat Clinton a bit differently at this moment.

"I want us to play attacking football, I want us to play at a very, very high tempo, I want us to play a game that is hopefully pleasing to the fans, one that creates a lot of chances and hopefully one that means we take a lot of chances.

"We identified that we had a big problem last year in terms of scoring goals. I think what we've got now are a lot of people who can score goals. And hopefully the goals that they got the other day will give them confidence and hopefully they'll continue to score during pre-season and into the season."

Irvine has drafted in eight new signings over the summer and is hoping to bring in a final addition, with former Preston North End centre-half Youl Mawene in the frame.

The French defender, 31 yesterday, was released by the Lancashire club this summer and Irvine knows him well from his managerial days at Deepdale.

Irvine said: "I would like to bring in one more player, and certainly a defender, I feel as if we are that little bit vulnerable in that area, but we are still working on it."