Sheffield Wednesday’s start to the 2024/25 Championship campaign has not quite matched the lofty expectations set by many at the start of the season, however a recent win against Coventry City will hopefully provide a platform for Danny Rohl’s side to build on.
Although the Owls haven’t quite got as many points as they will have hoped at this early stage of the season, they have had to manage several absences up until this point, especially in the defence and midfield.
One of which is summer signing Nathaniel Chalobah, who has managed just 62 minutes of action so far this campaign, which came in the EFL Cup.
The former Chelsea and West Brom midfielder arrived with a fairly streaky record of playing games as a result of injury, and it has led to Rohl having his say on the new signing.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Nathaniel Chalobah could feature in the coming weeks
The Owls’ options in the centre-of-the-park have been somewhat depleted as a result of the absence of Chalobah, however the likes of Shea Charles and Barry Bannan have met expectations so far this campaign.
Whilst Charles and Bannan at this point are undroppable, depth is set to be boosted by the soon-to-be return of Chalobah after Rohlo gave an update on the absent midfielder.
Per The Star, Rohl said: “He needs time. We have to give him time and now he needs a new pre-season.
“When he came to us in the summer, he missed some weeks in the pre-season and then he was injured, then a small injury and now a bigger injury.
“We are building him up on the grass and the goal for us now is for him to get minutes in the next international break.
“If it is earlier then it will be good, but in the next three weeks when we play every three days the intensity in training is not so high.
“He needs now some rhythm. He started on the grass, this is a good signal after four or five weeks just in the gym, it can be hard in the mind.
“This is the next big step and we will look from week to week. But now we will give him three or four weeks more so that we can really build up something.”
Danny Rohl must not take risks with Nathaniel Chalobah
Sheffield Wednesday and Rohl will be thankful that both Bannan and Charles are on top form, especially the latter, who bagged the winning goal against Coventry City.
Svante Ingelsson has not been given as much game time as he may have expected up until this point, which has likely been depleted as a result of the form of Charles, however he still proves to be a solid option for Rohl’s side.
As a result, the German boss must not look to rush the former Chelsea midfielder back into action as a further injury picked up could be much more significant.
Once Chalobah does return to action for Sheffield Wednesday and notches his first minutes in the 2024/25 Championship season, it will very likely be in smaller doses, and Rohl will hopefully be aware that there should be no urgency in getting the midfielder up to speed quicker than needed.
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