What we know about Sheffield Wednesday's return to Hillsborough
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The Star understands that the club will train at the stadium a number of times before the season restarts there on June 20 with their clash against promotion-chasing Nottingham Forest, with the primary aim of getting players used to playing in quiet surroundings.
The session included a practice match of sorts during which teams and formations were switched on a number of occasions and while videos on released by the club on social media appear to show an 11-a-side match between sides in Wednesday home and away kits, it is understood that the session was a relaxed affair with regular stoppages.
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Hide AdThe video showed coaching staff effectively acting as ball-boys around the perimeter of the pitch. On-loan striker Connor Wickham hit the back of the net with a well-taken finish.
Owls boss Garry Monk has made it clear the club will continue in similar style intra-club sessions rather than engage in friendlies against other clubs.
Their opening opponents Nottingham Forest took on a mixed Wolverhampton Wanderers XI earlier in the week, running out 2-0 winners.
Monk said last week: “I think from a health perspective, with this virus, why would you invite a group of people from outside into your sterile environment? I don’t see why you would do that. We’ll do it in-house, that’s the safest way in terms of player welfare and looking after ourselves.
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Hide Ad“Coming back, it’s been good. I’ve seen a good determination with them and the majority of players have come back in the condition that I would have wanted them to, we’ll keep progressing the training and see where we’re at when we start.”
While it is understood that the teams were switched a number of times and that some players did not feature, the teams shown in the three-minute clip are as follows;
Wildsmith, Palmer, Iorfa, Fox, Murphy, Lee, Bannan, Luongo, Reach, Da Cruz, Windass, Wickham (12 men)
Dawson, Urhoghide, Lees, Borner, Odubajo, Pelupessy, Hunt, Harris, Forestieri, Grant, Nuhiu