Sheffield Wednesday v Shrewsbury Town: Injury nightmare as Shrews prepare for Hillsborough visit
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The Owls play host to the Shrews on Saturday afternoon in their final home game in League One for almost a month, and are heavy favourites for the game as they enjoy a six-game unbeaten run in the league and face a side without a win in five.
It’s not been easy for Steve Cotterill this season though, with Daniel Udoh and George Nurse both doing cruciate ligaments and being ruled out for the season, Aiden O’Brien and Julien Dacosta suffering double hernias, and – most recently – Elliott Bennett suffering a calf injury after requiring an ankle operation previously.
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Hide AdSo they’re far from full strength as they make the trip to S6 – and there appears to be no end in site.
When asked about the current injury pile-up at the club, the Salop boss said “I don’t know how to change it… We have had five players sat in the stand on Saturday who could easily have been in the starting line-up.
“We are trying to do what we are trying to do with what we have available, and they have done exceptionally well.”
He went on to add, “We could get rid of the players we have now and go and get lesser players but double the squad size, but there is no continuity.
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Hide Ad![Shrewsbury Town manager, Steve Cotterill, has had a tough year with injuries.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjg3YTcyYTI1LTkwMTctNDA5Yi1iZDQ1LTc3Y2Q0NTQ4MjMyNDoyODFiZmNlOC1hMTlmLTQ2NDItOTAxYS05NGRiY2I4YTBlNTU=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Shrewsbury Town manager, Steve Cotterill, has had a tough year with injuries.](/img/placeholder.png)
“You’re changing your right-back, left-back, forward, and centre-back every week.”
“They aren’t like a pulled muscle, we are talking two cruciates here, two double hernias and - not just doubles - problems on top of them for Aiden O’Brien and Julien Dacosta.
“Elliott Bennett needed an ankle operation, and I have no doubt he will be out for a sustained period with a calf injury. And chuck in for good measure for Marko Marosi dislocates his finger and cuts it open, so I don’t know what else you can do to get those guys back, I genuinely don’t know.”
A win for Wednesday could potentially see them enter into the top two if Ipswich Town drop points away at Exeter City, but Darren Moore’s men will be focused on the ask at hand rather than what happens elsewhere.