Sheffield Wednesday's savvy transfer decision pays off with Cameron Dawson injury revealed

While all clubs want to do their incoming business as early as possible, loan deals for young players up and down the country are most often delayed and completed late in the month, with parent clubs keen to guard against the risk of leaving themselves short in case of injury or a change in circumstances. Entering the final days of the winter window, it is expected that Wednesday will be seeking to bring in players on loan before the deadline hits.

It works both ways and in keeping their options open until late in the window when it comes to the possible loaning-out of highly-rated young goalkeeper Pierce Charles, the Owls have guarded themselves against being short in the goalkeeping department after injury to Cameron Dawson. Charles, a Northern Ireland youth international who has spent time with the senior team, made his first team debut in the 1-1 FA Cup draw with Coventry City over the weekend with Brighton loanee James Beadle cup-tied.

Owls boss Danny Röhl had spoken about the club's mulling over of an experience-building loan out during this window for Charles and while their options remain open - the 18-year-old could of course be loaned out to non-league clubs even after the window closes on Thursday evening - his performance in the Coventry draw suggests he can be a more than capable deputy to Beadle while Dawson recovers.

A firm timescale on Dawson's injury has not been given, though Röhl did reveal the issue was a knee problem and referenced four weeks as a period to base his recovery around. "We have to look," he said. "It could be a little bit longer. It is his knee and it is about the feeling, how safe he is feeling. It could be a little bit longer, hopefully not too long. We have a strong group together in the goalkeepers. It is difficult to say how long, it could be four weeks, it could be shorter and it could also be longer. It is difficult and we will look from week to week."

On Charles' situation and whether he could still be loaned out, he said: "We will take a look and consider how big the injury is, what we can do, how long it will take for him to recover. We have to find the right way and to decide how it is best for us as a club to make sure we have a good goalkeeping group together. We will make a final decision in the next days while we wait for a clear answer on what it means and how long he is out. Maybe it will be quicker but perhaps not as we will need to be sure what is best for our situation to be prepared."