Sheffield Wednesday reserves entertain Port Vale tonight at Hillsborough with two players looking to make positive steps on the road to recovery.
Winger Wade Small is yet to feature for the Owls this season due to a hamstring problem but he is set to start for the second string this evening.
Jermaine Johnson and Etienne Esajas have played well for spells during most of the games they have featured in so far this season but the return of Small will at least add some competition for starting places and keep these two on their toes.
More significant perhaps is the inclusion of forward Francis Jeffers on the substitute's bench. Jeffers has continued to struggle with injuries since joining the club last summer as a high-profile signing and he will be eager to get his recovery back on track.
Jeffers missed a large chunk of last season as a result of an ankle injury in he picked up in January and was in line to return to the fold at the beginning of this campaign but a number of set backs have prevented this, much to the frustration of all involved.
Struggling striker Leon Clarke is also included as he bids to find some form and sharpness which has been sadly lacking in his 1st team performances so far this season.
The match takes place at Hillsborough rather than the usual reserve home venue at Stocksbridge as Stocksbridge are also due to play at home tonight, which is unfortunate as the pitch may cut up a little given the amount of rain in the area over the past few days. The Hillsborough pitch has looked back to somewhere near its best this season and it will be interesting to see how it holds up to the adverse weather after the problems caused by the floods last year.