SWFC News: Owls contact two football federations in hope of special permission boost

Sheffield Wednesday are waiting on a reply to a request that would see two of their players granted special permission to play in this month’s Championship clash with Derby County.

The Owls are operating with a small squad this season with injuries further impacting their efforts in recent weeks. It is hoped a number of senior players will make returns in the coming weeks and the free agent signings of Liam Cooper and Nathan Redmond have bolstered things a touch.

That double signing was granted partly on the basis that an already threadbare changing room is preparing for the loss of two first team players to the African Cup of Nations tournament starting later this month. Sean Fusire has been named in the provisional Zimbabwe squad having played an important part for them in the last international break and Yan Valery will feature as one of Tunisia’s most integral players.

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FIFA have ruled that players must be made available by their clubs to travel to the tournament in Morocco no later than December 15. That date is designed in part to allow European clubs to have their players involved the weekend leading into that date. The difference for Wednesday is that their match takes place on December 15 itself, a televised home clash with Derby County.

AFRICA BOUND: Yan Valery will play a key role for Tunisia in the forthcoming African Cup of Nations tournament (Image: Steve Ellis)

The circumstances have prompted the Owls to make contact with the football federations of both Zimbabwe and Tunisia to request their players are granted permission to play in the Rams match – and travel the next day.

Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen said: “They should travel on the 15th and on this weekend normally we would play on the 12th, 13th or 14th but for us, we pay on the Monday. So we have asked them if they can fly on the Tuesday to allow them to play on the Monday. But we don’t have any official answer yet, if they are allowed to do it or if they are not allowed to do it. I really hope.

“They (the federations) have to decide if they can come one day later. I really hope this is possible.”

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The AFCON starts on December 21, with Zimbabwe starting with a difficult clash with Egypt on December 22 and Tunisia set to kick off their campaign against Uganda on December 23.

Fusire’s Zimbabwe are not necessarily expected to progress too far into the competition, meaning he could return sometime after their final group match against South Africa on December 29. Valery’s Tunisia are 12/1 seventh favourites for the AFCON title and are expected to progress to the knockout rounds.