But will the rescue come in time to help Laws prevent Wednesday's squad being weakened, let alone strengthened?

The Owls boss could end up playing for time as his wisest course of action, knowing that caving in to pressure to sell players including Glenn Whelan and Yoann Folly could leave him with too little time to repair the damage if the club is buffered in the last days of the January window.

Mark Beevers, Jermaine Johnson and Tommy Spurr are also the focus of interest - and only outward moves are possible until prospective signings are financed by at least one sale.

For Laws, it must be like playing poker blindfolded. His hand is weak and he has used words like "traumatic" to describe a month that "could leave me in need of counselling!" But, in most people's eyes, Laws is playing a blinder in his handling of a precarious situation - not least in that the on-field performance, so far at least, has been relatively unaffected.

He will continue to fight his corner by demanding decent money for Whelan after rejecting Plymouth's £200,000 offer as "derisory." In one sense, however, former boss Paul Sturrock may have done Wednesday, if not Laws, a favour by opening the bidding. The Owls are under pressure to limit their losses on a player who can leave for nothing in the summer. More offers are anticipated - Burnley have already had a bid rejected. How much is realistic in that sorry scenario? I'd guess Wednesday would be forced to accept around £500,000.

It's possible that Stoke could revive their early-season interest, while Bolton - managed by confirmed admirer Gary Megson - and Derby's Paul Jewell are said to be gauging whether Whelan can step up to the Premiership.

Meanwhile, Everton are keeping close tabs on Mark Beevers - even if the injured Frank Simek is temporarily off their radar - and Wednesday will wonder if QPR might come back for Johnson and Spurr. That, at least, seems unlikely with the loaded Londoners having moved for up to ten other players since being rebuffed with a bid for Johnson - thought to be a money-back £450,000 - and an undisclosed offer for Spurr.

Not surprisingly, there is less speculation about incoming transfers, though Laws has been linked with Hull's Northern Ireland winger Stuart Elliott. Perhaps more realistic is the notion that he will pursue a long-held interest in his former Scunthorpe midfielder Cleveland Taylor. . . if players leave.

All of this has put tomorrow's tough trip to Cardiff - for which outstanding young centre back Richard Wood makes a welcome return - in the shade, even though it pits the Owls against former striker Steve MacLean. But MacLean's appearance is symbolic of the financial constraints that have eroded Laws' squad since last season's arrival.



Though MacLean's injury record made it understandable that Wednesday could not compete with Cardiff's offer, the loss of a proven striker, and the sales of Madjid Bougherra and Chris Brunt, combined to put Laws on the back foot.

But he is digging in and Wednesday's hopes of cementing their place in the Championship could be measured by keeping players rather than signing them.