West Brom's promotion rivals handed transfer hammer blow which could wreck season

West Bromwich Albion's hopes of securing a play-off place have been marginally improved, after Sheffield Wednesday learned that one of their star players will return to his parent club after being recalled from loan.

At a tumultuous fan form event at Hillsborough, the evening culminated in chairman Dejphon Chansiri - who faced a series of heated questions from Owls fans unhappy with the way he's been running the club - received a phone call informing him that Southampton would be bringing midfielder Shea Charles back to the south coast - a decision which was then relayed immediately to the assembled fans and journalists.

While some reports have suggested Wednesday could bring the talented 21-year-old back to the club if an additional fee is paid to the Saints, it looks like they could well be without the player for the rest of the season.

A seasoned Northern Ireland international who came through the Manchester City youth academy, Charles has made a name for himself with a breakthrough campaign in the Championship. He has played in 23 of the Owls' 26 league fixtures so far this season, providing six assists and scoring one goal.

The dynamic midfielder, who played a key role in Southampton's promotion back to the Premier League in the 2023/24 season, has an impressive average WhoScored rating of 7.11 for this season, putting him well above any other Owls player.

How is the race for promotion unfolding?

As always, the tightly-packed Championship table has seen a series of twists and turns throughout the 2024/25 campaign thus far.

As things stand, Leeds United are top of the league with 53 points, but they have the pressure of Burnley and Sheffield United hot on their heels, both of whom have 52 points. Sunderland have also squeezed themselves into the mix, sitting fourth with 50 points as they look to make their first return to the Premier League since suffering relegation back in 2017.

A hefty eight points gap stands between the four front-runners and the rest of the chasing pack. Blackburn Rovers, are in fifth on 42 points, closely followed by Middlesbrough (41) in sixth and West Brom (40) in seventh.

While the Baggies are currently in good stead to achieve their aims, it's worth noting that just six points separate them from 12th placed Swansea City, meaning any slip-up could put West Brom's hopes of reaching the play-offs in dire trouble.

Sheffield Wednesday, who have defied relegation battle predictions with an impressive first half of the season, sit in 10th, three points behind the Baggies. It remains to be seen how much of an impact the loss of Charles will have on Danny Rohl's side, but losing such a vital midfield cog will surely prove to be a big blow to their chances of reaching the play-offs.

Who do West Brom play next?

Following on from their 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Bournemouth in last week's FA Cup third round tie, the Baggies will look to dust themselves down and go again as the Championship fixtures begin to pile up.

Next up for West Brom is a Saturday afternoon encounter with Stoke City at the Hawthorns, before attentions turn to a tricky trip to Middlesbrough and another home clash against Portsmouth, in what is shaping up to be a relentless three-match week for the club.

Meanwhile, West Brom have been dealt a brutal blow themselves after it was confirmed that top scorer Josh Maja will be out for a number of weeks with a lower leg injury which requires surgery. However, this could prove to be a blessing in disguise, as a host of Premier League clubs were believed to be keen on signing the 26-year-old before he succumbed to the injury.

Elsewhere, the Baggies have still not been able to find a new manager, despite being on the recruitment drive since late last month, when manager Carlos Corberan left the club on Christmas Eve to complete a move to La Liga struggles Valencia.