Sheffield Wednesday taking steps to ensure Josh Windass can make major impact on survival scrap

The Owls attacker has sat out their last five league matches after coming off at half-time in their draw with Watford on the last day of January with an unspecified muscle injury. Owls boss Danny Röhl said earlier this month that the former Rangers man was training individually at Middlewood Road as part of his rehabilitation but has been sure not to offer a potential return date.

There's a reason for that as Wednesday seek to tread carefully in Windass' recovery. The goal, Röhl says, is to have their talismanic forward available for as many games as possible in their 12-match Championship survival run-in. Matches against Rotherham United and Plymouth Argyle will likely come too soon. Things are looking positive, however.

"It's difficult to say," Röhl said when asked on the timescale of his return. "The steps forward are huge now and this has given us a good signal. Let's take a look maybe on Sunday, we could have him training with the guys who did not play or maybe didn't play so much. Maybe he will be involved.

"We are taking it step-by-step. What is important is that he is ready for the last weeks and games there, instead of rushing him for one game and risking another injury. We must pay attention there. It has been helpful to have two normal weeks (without midweek matches)."