Ahead of Sunday’s first round Carabao Cup-tie against Huddersfield at Hillsborough, Owls manager Darren Moore spoke with the media following today’s training session at Middlewood Road.
Here are the highlights from his pre-match press conference;
Josh Windass update…
Hopefully by next week we’ll be able to give more of a prognosis on that one but at the moment we are still in the dark. He has gone for scans, we’ve had to let the injury settle down and it’s just a little bit too soon but hopefully we’ll have some news next week.
On Massimo Luongo and Dominic Iorfa…
We are delighted with both of them. We have had to manage them throughout pre-season and so far in terms of their minutes and the volume they’ve had, they have been excellent and we are really pleased with where they are both at.
Any more injury news...
They have all come off the pitch OK after training today so everybody should be fine and well.
Florian Kamberi signing on loan…
He’s a goal threat and somebody we feel is a clever player with his technical approach.
He’s very mobile and a player equally as happy with the ball at his feet and running in behind opposition defenders. He brings a different dimension and dynamic to our forward line.
It’s a season-long loan and we are delighted to have secured his services, with a player like him there was competition from clubs overseas, but he wanted to come here and get his teeth stuck into the project we have here.
Potential loan outs…
There have been one or two enquiries for the younger ones, but it must be the right fit for us as a club and the players’ developments. We must look at that, it has to be the right fit for all parties.
Assessment of pre-season…
At this stage you are into the final parts of pre-season, obviously ours comes earlier because of this cup match.
But looking at the squad in terms of the distances we wanted to cover and the volume of work; I’m really pleased - apart from the injury to Josh Windass. Every manager will tell you they want to come through pre-season unscathed, so apart from Josh, I’m pleased with where the squad is at.
Bringing a winning culture…
Without a doubt, that’s what every club wants. It’s what we’re in the business for to win games, it’s what we want to be about, we want to implement that culture here.
Huddersfield on Sunday…
Carlos and his Huddersfield team have been progressing well in pre-season and it will be a tough game. They have a wonderful structure about them and I’m sure it will be an entertaining match.
Towards the end of the last campaign there was a good structure about them and I’m sure that has been reinforced over the last six/seven weeks.
We will have to be at our best as they are a very good team. We are as ready as we can be, we have had a good pre-season and we must take all that into tomorrow’s game.
Return of the fans at Hillsborough…
It will be fantastic to get to see everybody, I’m looking forward to seeing the fans get right behind their team – really pleased to have them back in the ground.
When you look at Hillsborough, it’s just not right without the fans. I’m sure they’ll all be there early making a day of it because they have been starved of it for 16/17 months.
We need them, we’ve missed them dearly. It was great to hear them in numbers at Port Vale, wonderful to hear. Football is back.
Port Vale reflections…
It was a good entertaining game, both teams were at it and I think Port Vale will have a good season ahead of them.
For us, it was another building block and I was pleased with the levels and what we took from the game. It was a big tick for us and we move on.
Taking the knee…
The players will not be taking the knee this season, we support everything that taking the knee represents but as a club, we feel it’s now time to take this to the next level, it’s enough of the gestures and we want to see action now.
The time for talking is over, the time for action is now especially with the online abuse that’s there for all to see and we are unified in saying, let’s stop this. Let’s cut the talking out and see the action.