Sheffield Wednesday were without four of their star players last weekend.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Carlos Carvalhal
Sheffield Wednesday’s promotion hopes have been dealt yet another blow after head coach Carlos Carvalhal confirmed one of his absentees will not play again this season.
Wednesday were without key players Fernando Forestieri, Ross Wallace, Kieran Lee and Almen Abdi for Saturday’s draw against Barnsley – a game which saw another Owls regular Sam Hutchinson hobble off midway through the first half.
The result saw last season’s beaten play-off finalists drop out of the top six for the first time since January, having won just one of their last seven fixtures.
And while Carvalhal was confident of recovering some of his injured stars ahead of this Saturday’s visit of Newcastle United, the Portuguese confirmed at Monday’s pre-Rotherham United press conference that Abdi has undergone surgery on his knee.
“Abdi [has] finished the season,” he said via Wednesday’s official Facebook account. “He is a player in midfield we miss also. [He has had] surgery on the knee.”
Abdi has been beset by injuries since his £3 million move [Transfermarkt] from Watford last summer, making just 16 appearances for Wednesday.
The Swiss made three consecutive starts for the Owls throughout February – his longest run in Carvalhal’s side for five months – but hasn’t played since the last of those, 1-0 defeat against Leeds United.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Almen Abdi celebrates
Abdi’s absence has only emphasised the loss of Lee, whose return is not thought to be imminent despite his return to light training.
Carvalhal blamed Wednesday’s recent struggles on not being able to call upon link players such as the pair, Ross Wallace and Gary Hooper.
He added: “You can be with three boxes of rice, three kilos of potatoes. But if you don’t have fish a potato cannot play the role of a fish.”
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