Sheffield Wednesday have received a significant boost ahead of their trip to Charlton Athletic tomorrow following the news that club captain Barry Bannan has been declared fit to feature.
The Owls have endured a tricky start to the Championship season. Following another summer of turmoil, they were the favourites to suffer relegation to League One.
This was due to an exodus of first team players, led by owner Dejphon Chansiri’s failure to pay wages. This saw the likes of Josh Windass, Michael Smith and Akin Famewo all move on for pastures new, whilst manager Danny Rohl also departed in July.
With a largely inexperienced squad, Wednesday have just a solitary win to their name. As a result, they currently sit 23rd in the table, one place above bitter rivals Sheffield United.
Sheffield Wednesday Receive Bannan Boost
One player who remained committed to the cause was club legend Barry Bannan. Despite being out of contract, he stayed at Hillsborough throughout the summer before eventually penning fresh terms a week before the start of the campaign.
With over 450 appearances to his name, it is no surprise that the 35-year-old has been the stand out performer thus far. He has started every game and has pitched in with 2 goals and 2 assists.
Barry Bannan isn’t just a Sheffield Wednesday legend, he’s a footballing legend. 💙#swfc pic.twitter.com/3X5A95occl
— The Real EFL (@RealEFLSocial) August 3, 2025
“Last week Barry had an individual program, because of his knee. This week he was also on a reduced one, a lot of individual work. But today (Thursday) he trained normally with us. Let’s see for tomorrow’s reaction.
“The other guys had a day off yesterday (Wednesday), but he was in on a reduced session so that we could see today’s reaction – and there wasn’t one. Let’s see what happens tomorrow, but I hope he’ll be back full-time now.”
Off-Field Antics Continue To Dominate Headlines
Bannan’s fitness would have been the least of Sheffield Wednesday supporters concerns this week. Amid a fifth round of unpaid wages in seven months, the threat of a points deduction continues to loom.
To make matters worse, news emerged earlier this week that the club is set to be issued a winding up petition due to an unpaid tax bill. An investigation from BBC Radio Sheffield and The Sheffield Star found that over £1 million is owed to the HMRC, meaning that the possibility of administration or the threat of liquidation is on the cards
Sheffield Wednesday will “imminently” be served with a winding-up petition over money owed to HMRC.
Read more 👉https://t.co/wiaBPFxhuq#SWFC | @BBCSheffield pic.twitter.com/AHQ2duO5vc
— Football Heaven (@footballheaven) October 16, 2025
Writer’s View
Barry Bannan is pivotal to any slim chance that Sheffield Wednesday have of staying up this season, so this news represents a small glimmer of hope to supporters. They’ve not had much to smile about over the past couple of years so this will provide a little bit of comfort.
Meanwhile, it still remains to be seen as to whether the Owls will be able to complete the season. Whilst the news of a winding up petition is extremely concerning, the silver lining could be that it forces owner Dejphon Chansiri into selling. All eyes continue to be on Hillsborough.
