Sheffield Wednesday forward Callum Paterson has made a huge step on his road to recovery from injury, Alex Miller reports.
What’s the latest and Paterson’s injury?
The Owls still currently sit top of League One, however, the have failed to win any of their last five fixtures, which has resulted in the likes of Plymouth Argyle, Ipswich Town and Barnsley all breathing down their neck ahead of the run-in.
Darren Moore’s side have seven league fixtures remaining and will be hoping to clinch one of two automatic spots instead of dropping into the playoffs over the coming weeks.
Wednesday have been without Paterson since February, with the 28-year-old missing the last 11 games due to a hamstring injury. However, it looks as if he may be able to play some part in the run-in, with Miller sharing comments from Moore regarding the forward.
The Star reporter stated that Paterson has made a ‘huge leap’ in his recovery and should be back in training this week, with Moore saying:
“It’s all dependent on the individual. First and foremost it’s his health but he needs the volume and to be back in with the main group. He has to get used to the quick-thinking, reacting to the ball.
“Once we see him doing that and we’ve ensured he’s had no reaction to the unpredictable movements that he’s got to do, then you start looking at him in terms of starting a game or being involved on a matchday.
“That’s down to speaking to the medical team about whether he’s having reactions. If we don’t get any of them then I start to get a little bit giddy in terms of getting him back into a squad. At the moment I’m reserved in my view on it because I know the process that he has to go through first.”
Could Paterson make a difference?
Paterson, described as an "important" player by Moore, has been a regular for Wednesday since arriving back in 2020, making 119 appearances and contributing to 30 goals.
The Scot has mainly played through the middle as a centre-forward this season but has also turned out in a number of other attacking positions under Moore when required, scoring the winner against rivals Plymouth as a right-midfielder in his last appearance.
Therefore, his return before the end of the season would surely be welcomed by Moore, especially with the club desperate to get back to winning ways, and it looks as if it could be possible following this update.
