Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Röhl issues Ike Ugbo fitness warning ahead of Sunderland clash
Former Sunderland target Ike Ugbo is not expected to start for Sheffield Wednesday when the two sides meet on Sunday.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Röhl has admitted that his side will have to patient with returning striker Ike Ugbo’s fitness ahead of the Owls’ trip to Sunderland on Sunday lunchtime.
The centre forward spent the second part of last season on loan at Hillsborough, and completed a permanent transfer to Wednesday last week following a nervy transfer battle that also saw the Black Cats heavily linked with a swoop for the 25-year-old.
According to The Sheffield Star, Sunderland “edged in” on talks with Ugbo’s former club Troyes, but were unable to beat Wednesday to an agreement for his signature. The attacker was unveiled ahead of his second stint in Sheffield during a press conference with manager Röhl last week.
Since then, Ugbo made a brief cameo during his side’s EFL Cup first round win over Hull City in midweek, but speaking after that match, Röhl reiterated the fact that it could be some time before Wednesday supporters see their main man start from the first whistle.
As quoted by The Sheffield Star, the German boss said: “For Ike now it is about getting minutes and getting fitter and fitter. We had a similar situation in January when he first arrived, he has trained, but he now has to come into the next level because he missed six weeks.
“We have worked so hard with the group and you have seen how they can run and run until the end, this is fantastic. We will bring Ike into shape and we will see that as well. We will go step by step. Today he played 15 minutes game time, that was helpful and he came through. In the next couple of games he will get more and more minutes and we will see how much. The next point is the international break and it will be like a small pre-season for him, four or five weeks work.”
Ugbo began last season on loan at Cardiff City, scoring four goals for the Bluebirds before being recalled by Troyes and sent out to Wednesday during the January transfer window. The Canadian international went on to register seven strikes for the Owls, and played a pivotal role in Röhl’s side avoiding relegation to League One.