Reason for Sheffield Wednesday absences revealed along with behind-closed-doors clash

Sheffield Wednesday faced La Liga side CD Leganes at Hillsborough on Saturday, with several senior players absent from the matchday squad. The Owls played out a goalless draw with the Spanish team but displayed promising moments ahead of their Championship opener against Plymouth Argyle on Sunday. After the game Röhl spoke optimistically about the performance and paid tribute to long-time stalwart Liam Palmer, as the match served as his testimonial.

Missing from the lineup were Di’Shon Bernard, Michael Smith, Michael Ihiekwe, Marvin Johnson, Pol Valentin, Bambo Diaby, and new signings Olaf Kobacki, Svante Ingelsson, and Nathaniel Chalobah. These players participated in a ‘guard of honor’ for Palmer.

The Star can now reveal that Wednesday had a behind-closed-doors match with Rotherham United at Hillsborough on Friday, which ended 0-0. Millers boss Steve Evans confirmed the match in his post-match interview following their pre-season friendly with Doncaster Rovers on Saturday. The game ensured that the full squad received adequate minutes before the EFL kick-off.

“We had a game yesterday and it was about everyone getting minutes and load, which is why the decision was made to play a second game,” Owls boss Danny Röhl told The Star. “I spoke with the players and it was good to see yesterday. The result was OK but not the important thing. I saw a lot of good things today and now I will put all the things together in my mind and move forward.”

Wednesday controlled much of the match against Leganes and had the better chances against a team that won the Spanish second tier last season. Reflecting on the game, Röhl was positive.

“It was a fantastic atmosphere for Liam and for a friendly game,” he said. “It is what we wanted for Liam and that was important. On the football side, our team was very dominant and strong both with and against the ball. We created many chances.

“I think you see our work from the last five weeks on the pitch, and now we need to focus on making that final realization. The big challenge is to score goals to win games, but overall, I am really happy with the pre-season. No injuries, many players are sharp and available, and the new signings have shown why we signed them. Overall, we can be happy at this point and ready for next week and the next season.”

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