The brilliant young goalkeeper looked to sustain the injury during the Owls’ Carabao Cup victory over Bolton Wanderers last week, but with no better choices between the posts, he started in the weekend’s defeat to Stoke City. Wednesday confirmed the issue on Thursday morning, saying the club is trying to acquire Cardiff City goalkeeper Ethan Horvath as cover on loan.
Manager Henrik Pedersen told reporters that Charles will be out until at least the September international break, however the severity of the injury has not yet been determined. Speaking with The Star, the Danish coach refused to rule out the prospect of surgery to fix the problem.
“We are not quite sure for this yet,” Pedersen remarked. “He has been seen by a specialist and now we are waiting for the answer on which direction it will go, so it can still go in both directions.”
Given the public recognition of Charles’ injury, the 20-year-old’s inclusion in Northern Ireland’s World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Germany surprised many. The Owls’ number one is an important figure for his country, which also appears to be waiting for further medical clarity. The club and the country are in communication.
Pedersen stated: “I saw that he was named, and I am aware that the club is in contact with the Northern Ireland national team. I am confident they will find a solution to handle this matter.”
Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill stated in his own press conference on Thursday why he chose to call him up despite the issue. “Pierce has an injury, we’re in dialogue with Sheffield Wednesday, we don’t know the extent of that in full yet,” commented O’Neill. “We have two weeks before we play, so we must ensure that he is fit to play if selected.
“If not, we’ll provide coverage. Currently, the club and our own medical team are in frequent communication. It only came to light in the last 24 hours, and perhaps the player will receive positive news before we meet, but we’ll have to wait and see.
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