According to The Star, Sheffield Wednesday are concerned that Pierce Charles’ injury will be more serious than initially feared.
The excellent goalkeeper has played every minute of their three-game season to date and has been a standout, making as much as 19 saves in total, 14 in the Championship alone – four more than any other goalie in the league. It’s form that will have impressed a lengthy number of suitors, with French club Strasbourg said to have kept an interest despite having a bid of around £2 million turned down last week.
Northern Ireland international Charles suffered what was believed to be a minor shoulder injury last week but featured in their defeat to Stoke City over the weekend. Now, The Star understands that tests have revealed the issue is more serious than first thought and sources suggest there are major concerns he will face a spell on the sidelines in recovery.
With 18 senior appearances and six full international caps, Charles is Wednesday’s only senior goalkeeper. Logan Stretch, 18, has acted as a backup thus far but has yet to make his first-team debut, while Killian Barrett and Jack Phillips are highly rated but have not yet played.
Charles, 20, has sparked interest from West Ham United, Rangers, and other clubs, including Strasbourg. Manager Henrik Pedersen has expressed his desire to keep the young goalkeeper despite the club’s escalating financial woes, which have seen important playing assets sold off in recent months to meet salary commitments to its personnel.
“At the moment, we’re doing everything we can to find a way to get players in,” Pedersen told The Star over the weekend. “I’m hoping we don’t sell anyone; we need the guys we have today, and keeping them is critical, especially given the burden of signing new players. So I sincerely hope we can keep the players.
When asked what conversations he has had with owner Dejphon Chansiri about Charles’ future, Pedersen said: “We have had dialogue that we want to keep him and get new players in.”
Leave a Reply