Sheffield Wednesday have officially submitted their squad list to the English Football League, confirming a 17-player senior group for the upcoming League One season. The list, filed after last Wednesday's deadline, reveals one significant omission and a key return from injury as reported by thestar.co.uk.
This comes after a difficult 2025 Championship season which saw the club finish 24th, amassing just -4 points from 42 games with a record of one win, eleven draws, and thirty losses. Their final form was DDLLL, and they ended the campaign a staggering 90 points behind champions Coventry City, having scored 25 goals while conceding 82 for a -57 goal difference.
Who is in and who is out of the squad?
The 'in squad' list of 17 senior outfield players includes Barry Bannan, Mason Burstow, Liam Cooper, and the returning Di'Shon Bernard. Bernard's inclusion is notable after he was left off previous lists during his recovery from a long-term injury. The full list of registered senior players is Al-Hamadi, Almeida Santos, Baininwa Liongola, Bannan, Barry, Bernard, Burstow, Cooper, James, Keillor-Dunn, Jamal Lowe, Max Lowe, Mitchell, Palmer, Slattery, Swinkels, and Valery.
Goalkeepers do not need to be registered under EFL ruling 44.9. The major absence is midfielder Tyler Onyango, who suffered a serious knee injury on his debut at Leyton Orient last month. He is expected to miss the remainder of the campaign. The club also has a 25-player under-21 list, featuring prospects like Sean Fusire, Jaden Heskey, and Devlan Moses, which you can view in full on our squad page.
How does the squad size compare to other clubs?
With 17 registered senior outfield players, Sheffield Wednesday have one of the smallest squads in the division. Only AFC Wimbledon and Leicester City have fewer players on their submitted lists. League One rules permit clubs to register up to 22 senior players in total, meaning Wednesday have five vacant slots they could theoretically fill. Manager Henrik Pedersen and sporting director Simon Wilson have, however, played down the likelihood of bringing in free agents to utilise those spaces.
What registration options remain available?
The club retains flexibility in the transfer market despite the submitted list. They have not used either of their two Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) player registration slots. These slots allow League One sides to sign international players who do not meet the standard Governing Body Endorsement points threshold. The status of Jordi Liongola, previously unclear, is confirmed as he is named on the senior list.
Sheffield Wednesday's planning for the new season continues against the backdrop of last term's struggles, detailed in our standings archive. The confirmed senior group of 17 will now form the core for manager Henrik Pedersen as they prepare for their League One fixtures, which are listed on our fixtures schedule. The final squad number for senior outfield players stands at 17.
