Sheffield Wednesday: Fernando Forestieri welcomes Owls squad competition

Fernando Forestieri has welcomed the increased competition for places at Hillsborough.
Fernando ForestieriFernando Forestieri
Fernando Forestieri

Wednesday, aiming to kick on again after reaching the Championship Play-Off final last term, bolstered their strikeforce over the summer by bringing in Steven Fletcher on a free transfer. The 29-year-old, previously of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland, is competing with Forestieri, Gary Hooper, Lucas Joao and Atdhe Nuhiu for a starting spot.

Boss Carlos Carvalhal is keeping everyone guessing over he will field against newly-relegated Aston Villa this Sunday, having rotated his forwards throughout their pre-season friendlies. In their last outing with Port Vale last weekend, Carvalhal tried two different combinations alone up front, pairing Hooper and Fletcher together in the first half and Forestieri and Joao after the break.

“Fletcher is a good signing and he will help the team,” Forestieri told The Star. “I don’t look at it as competition.

“If players are coming in to help the team, it can only be a good thing. It means we are more strong and it is better for the manager when he has got more players to choose from.”

There is a strong possibility that Carvalhal will select Forestieri, who top-scored with 15 goals in the 2015/16 campaign, as a left winger against a Villa team who added Scotland international Ross McCormack to their ranks yesterday. Forestieri likes to drift out wide to that side and cut infield to cause havoc.

Should Carvalhal hand Forestieri that role, it is likely Hooper and Fletcher will spearhead their attack.