Sheffield Wednesday have had mixed news on the injury front ahead of Saturday’s clash with Nottingham Forest.
For both clubs, it will be a return to action for the first time since March, when games were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Owls’ top scorer Steven Fletcher is expected to be involved at Hillsborough, but the hosts will be without two of their forward line as Josh Windass and Sam Winnall will be sidelined with injury.
Windass’ loan deal from Wigan Athletic runs out at the end of this month, but Wednesday are hopeful he will extend his stay.
"Josh Windass unfortunately picked up an injury last week," boss Garry Monk said in his pre-match press conference. "We have until the end of the month.
"We are going to try and give him as much time as possible to then assess where his injury is at and how long it will need.
"It is very difficult in the early days to assess how long it will be. It is his thigh that he has had a little bit of a niggle with. It is not massively serious but we have to make a decision on that at the end of the month.
"But all of the other loans want to be here and they all want to stay and want to complete the season so obviously we are trying to agree that with the other clubs."
Winnall has not featured since January due to injury, and Monk added: "Sam Winnall has picked up a niggle and hasn't been training for the last couple of weeks. Everyone else has been training."
That includes Fletcher, who has netted 13 goals already this term. He is among the players whose contracts are set to expire at the end of June.
"With Fletch, he picked up an injury, so he didn't train last week," said Monk. "It was a slight niggle.
"He has been back in training this week, so he has trained all week and that's good.
"In terms of that side of it, all the players who are in the training ground who are out of contract have been asked to extend beyond this month into next month to complete these games.
"That's the short-term view right now and there are a few discussions going on with that. We have time and until the end of the month to finalise that and every player who is in the training ground who is out of contract has been asked to extend.
"We need them and we need everyone right now. I am hopeful things will get done.
"There's obviously discussions and opinions between myself and the players themselves. But I am very hopeful they will decide."
Midfielder Kieran Lee has extended his contract until the end of July.
Monk added: "I know Kieran Lee will definitely be extending for the short-term at least. But with the others, there's still discussions to go on, but we have time.
"We have two games where all of us are committed and then beyond that, hopefully the others commit as well. Discussions are ongoing."
