Carvalhal hopeful of boosting squad from within

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY head coach Carlos Carvalhal is hoping a less-populated Hillsborough treatment room will alleviate the need to go shopping in the January transfer window.

The Owls’ well-documented injury problems meant they were without nine first-teamers for last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Championship leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers.

A depleted squad has been a contributing factor in Wednesday sliding down the table, 15th ahead of tomorrow’s visit of Middlesbrough to S6.

But midfielder Sam Hutchinson will make his first start since August tomorrow, following knee surgery, and Carvalhal is hoping others like Keiren Westwood, Tom Lees, Steven Fletcher, Barry Bannan, George Boyd and Fernando Forestieri will return before the end of January.

Asked about his January recruitment plans, Carvalhal said: “We are working on that. It is something we are analysing. We are missing players in crucial positions.

“If nobody was injured, we wouldn’t need a player at this moment. But the critics are correct about pace.

“When Fernando Forestieri stays injured, we need pace in attack. We need more speed in attack.

“Players with pace and quality cost a lot of money. When you have a player like Forestieri, you think you can play him 100 per cent all the time.

“Let’s see at the beginning of January. We are looking to the market. We are looking at players, especially players to loan.

“We are with open eyes to that position and one or another position; if we need more than one player, we will propose to the chairman to bring.

“We are looking to the market and we will probably bring one or another player in January.”

One player set for an extended spell on the sidelines is midfielder Kieran Lee, after Carvalhal confirmed he needed a second hip operation.

“He needs surgery to correct something inside,” said Carvalhal. “We are waiting for the doctor to call him to do this small surgery and after we believe he will be 100 per cent after the surgery.

“To substitute players like Kieran, it is very difficult.”

The Owls have not won in their last six games, but Carvalhal has been impressed by training at Middlewood Road this week.

“They did a fantastic week so I just expect them to put what they have done into training on the pitch on Saturday,” he said.