Sheffield Wednesday Captain Barry Bannan Anticipates Championship Opener Against Leicester City Will Proceed

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Sheffield Wednesday's captain, Barry Bannan, remains optimistic that their Championship opener against Leicester City will proceed on Sunday. This comes amid financial challenges faced by the club. Last weekend, players opted out of a friendly match with Burnley due to delayed wages, marking the fourth such incident in five months under owner Dejphon Chansiri.

Despite these issues, the club announced on Saturday that Bannan has extended his contract, marking his 11th season with Sheffield Wednesday.

The club's financial woes have led to several players departing before the new season. Additionally, no new signings have been made yet. The situation worsened when Sheffield City Council issued a prohibition notice, forcing the closure of Hillsborough's North Stand.

On the managerial front, Danny Rohl exited the club recently and was succeeded by Henrik Pedersen. Supporters are planning protests against Chansiri's ownership during Sunday's match by displaying banners and arriving late to their seats.

Bannan addressed concerns about potential further strikes by stating to talkSPORT: "No, I don't think so. We pulled out of the Burnley game at the weekend. That was simply because it's happened too much now and I think it's a lot easier to pull out of a pre-season friendly game than it is a Championship fixture."

The team has continued training despite these challenges and aims to present a united front externally. Bannan added that withdrawing from the Burnley match was their way of saying "enough is enough."

As Sheffield Wednesday navigates these turbulent times, fans and players alike hope for stability and success in their upcoming matches.