Sheffield Wednesday Captain Barry Bannan Expects Championship Opener Against Leicester City
Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan has expressed confidence that the club will be able to compete in their opening Championship match against Leicester City on Sunday.
The Owls have experienced a challenging off-season, marked by delayed wages for players and staff during May, June, and July, as well as registration embargoes. Additionally, the North Stand at Hillsborough has been closed due to concerns regarding its structural integrity, and head coach Danny Rohl has departed from the club.
As the team prepares to face Leicester, the English Football League (EFL) has raised concerns about the club's ability to fulfill its fixture commitments. A scheduled behind-closed-doors training match against Burnley was also canceled after the players opted not to participate.
When questioned about the possibility of players going on strike and refusing to play against Leicester, Bannan stated in an interview with Talksport, "No, I don’t think so. We pulled out of the Burnley game at the weekend simply because it’s happened too often now. I think it’s much easier to withdraw from a pre-season friendly than it is from a Championship fixture. We’ve come into training and just got on with it, presenting ourselves to the outside world as if everything is fine. So, we felt it was time to say ‘enough’s enough.’"
Last week, Bannan signed a new contract with the club despite their ongoing financial difficulties. The 35-year-old midfielder, who has made 447 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday over a decade, revealed he turned down interest from other clubs to extend his stay at Hillsborough.
Sheffield Wednesday is currently facing mounting debts and has missed payments to HM Revenue and Customs, leaving the team with just 15 first-team squad members. The match against Leicester on Sunday will be televised, and the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust plans to protest against owner Dejphon Chansiri during the game.