Sheffield Wednesday journalist Dom Howson has claimed that Darren Moore would only ‘seriously look’ at signing a new centre-back if any more injuries were to occur.

The Lowdown: Injury concerns

Mark McGuinness and Akin Famewo have both been on the sidelines for weeks now, with Reece James having to play out of position to cover given the current lack of options.

However, with the transfer window now being closed, the only way to get new additions in the building at Hillsborough would be to dip into the free agent market, something which the Owls boss appeared to rule out doing previously.

The Latest: Howson’s free agent claim

Asked during a Q&A for YorkshireLive whether Moore would look at bringing in another central defender due to the small number of available personnel, Howson responded:

“I think if Wednesday got one more injury in that position then Moore would seriously look at it. The good news is McGuinness should be back in the next couple of weeks and Famewo will be fit before the end of the year. Famewo is doing gym work at the moment.

“I do agree that centre-back is the one area of the team where they look a little short on numbers. Although Reece James has done well there, I would prefer to see him at wing-back. DM was asked about the possibility of dipping into the free agents market a couple of weeks ago and he seemed to play it down.

“As we saw with NML last year, it took Wednesday a long time to get him up to match speed. A lot of free agents won't have got a pre-season under their belt so would be playing catch up. I can see Wednesday waiting until the January transfer window to assess their centre-back options.”

The Verdict: Correct decision

Whilst the Owls’ need for numbers at the back is evident, it would be the right decision to wait until the New Year to sign any fresh faces.

Moore’s side have got off to a flying start this season, currently sitting just two points off the top of the League One table, which shows they have a winning formula with the squad they’ve already got.

When McGuinness returns and with Famewo also edging closer, Wednesday will be able to make a more balanced decision on whether they need to bring any more players in, but that’s not a question that needs answering until January.