SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY: Owls trio ready for returns
Fighting hard: David Prutton is hailed by Dave Jones for setting an example with his professionalism
dave Jones has received a triple pre-Christmas boost with an all-clear for Jermaine Johnson and Gary Madine for tomorrow’s home match against Charlton and a return to the squad soon for Jay Bothroyd.
Johnson (hamstring) and Madine (knee) went off in the second half of the 1-0 win at Barnsley but are back in training.
Bothroyd (ankle) is due to resume training on Sunday after missing three games so could be available for the holiday-period matches against Bolton, Huddersfield and Burnley before his loan ends on January 2.
Jose Semedo (knee gash) is still out after missing three games but replacement David Prutton has come in for praise after his return from a loan spell at Scunthorpe and return to the Wednesday side.
Jones presents Prutton as an example of professionalism and the adage - also cited by Nicky Weaver this week - that in football you never know when an opportunity will arise:
Said Joner: “He didn’t get a look-in last year; he goes away, comes back and, due to circumstances, that bit of experience was needed. Pruts has come in and done brilliantly. He’s given us experience and a bit of stability, rather than maybe that youthfulness or just charging around. He knows the game, reads the game quite well.
“With the experience he’s had and the clubs he’s been at, if you speak to Dave he knows how quickly it can change.
“A young player you could have ‘lost’, and they do spit the dummy out, but the one thing you’ve got to remember is that they get paid to play football, not to spit the dummy out.
“When you lose that determination when you’re out of the side and then you get your chance you can’t just turn it on.
“You get good pros like Pruts, who’s gone out, realised that maybe his future lies elsewhere, comes back - he was going to come back for a month, and would probably have gone back to Scunthorpe in all honesty, he’ll tell you that. Then all of sudden he’s got a chance.
“He’s fighting for his life; he’s fighting for everything; what he’s also doing is putting himself in the shop window, because if it doesn’t work here, then rather than him go back to a smaller club, somebody might say ‘he might be able to do us a job’.
“That’s where that good professionalism comes in. Any player, young or old should look at Pruts and say ‘that’s not a bad attitude to have’.”
Jones does not think that Reda Johnson is ready for a senior start yet after his recovery from a foot injury.
The Owls manager revealed that the club are awaiting the outcome of a “private, off-field” matter involving an undisclosed player: “We’ll have to see how that pans out.”
Teams and ref
OWLS (possible): Kirkland, Buxton, Llera, Gardner, Helan, J Johnson, Prutton, Lines, Antonio, Madine, O’Grady (4-4-2).
ADDICKS (possible): Hamer; Solly, Dervite, Morrison, Seabourne; Wilson, Pritchard, Frimpong, Jackson, Haynes; Kermorgant or Hulse (4-5-1).
Gary Sutton (Lincs): Handled Charlton’s first Championship match of the season, a 1-1 draw at Birmingham. His last game was the 3-3 draw between Bury and Preston at Gigg Lane on Tuesday in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. In 17 games this season he has shown 54 yellow cards and three reds.
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Weather for Sheffield
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 3 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North west
