Plymouth Argyle's upcoming League One fixture away to Sheffield Wednesday is under threat of postponement due to international call-ups. The match, scheduled for 14 November, could be called off if three or more of Wednesday's senior players are selected for national team duty.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Tom Cleverly has stated his team is desperate to play the game to maintain their competitive rhythm and secure points. However, the club faces potential absences with Yan Valery (Tunisia), Harry Gray (England Under-19s), and Liverpool loanee Kieran Morrison (Northern Ireland) all expected to receive call-ups. Under EFL rules, a club can request a postponement if three or more senior players are called away.
Plymouth, currently fifth in League One with 23 points from 14 games, played through the previous international break and are not expected to have significant call-ups themselves. Their recent form has been mixed, with two wins, one draw, and two losses from their last five matches, leaving them six points behind leaders Huddersfield. The team's record of seven wins, two draws, and five losses this season has yielded 21 goals scored and 19 conceded. Their recent results include a goalless draw with Reading on Saturday 31 October, a 3-2 win at Cambridge United on Saturday 24 October, and a 3-0 defeat at Stevenage on Tuesday 20 October.
Fixture uncertainty
This creates a significant scheduling headache for Argyle, who are looking to consolidate their play-off position. A postponement would disrupt their momentum following a goalless draw with Reading last time out. The club's next scheduled match after the international window is this key trip to Hillsborough, where Wednesday sit ninth in the table. Should this game be called off, Plymouth's next fixture would then be the visit of Charlton Athletic to Home Park on 21 November, a match that would take on even greater importance for maintaining league position.
Cleverly's public desire to play highlights the balancing act clubs face. Playing without key personnel could be a disadvantage, but a backlog of fixtures later in the season presents its own challenges. For Plymouth, the priority is securing points to stay in the top six, a task made trickier by this uncertainty. The team will look to top scorer Aribim Pepple, who has five goals this season, to provide the firepower whenever the fixture is played. Pepple was on the scoresheet in the recent win at Cambridge, converting a penalty.
Fans planning travel for the 14 November clash are advised to monitor official club channels for confirmation. The outcome hinges on the final international squad announcements. Plymouth will hope for clarity soon as they prepare for a key period in their fixtures schedule, with the potential rescheduling adding to a congested calendar.
The original report is at sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk
