Sheffield Wednesday facing potential January heartbreak amid anxious Southampton wait: View | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday will be desperately hoping that Southampton do not recall midfielder Shea Charles in January.

After a tough start to the season, it has been a positive few weeks for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

Wednesday registered an emphatic 4-0 win over Plymouth Argyle on the opening weekend, but they then lost four of their next five league games, which increased fears that another relegation battle could be on the cards this season.

However, the Owls have improved significantly in recent weeks, and they extended their unbeaten run to three games with a 2-1 win over Coventry City at the CBS Arena on Saturday.

Jack Rudoni gave the Sky Blues the lead in the 26th minute, but Wednesday then produced an impressive comeback, with Djeidi Gassama equalising just before the break and Shea Charles netting the winner in the third minute of second half stoppage time.

The Owls head into the international break sitting 15th in the table, just five points from the play-off places, and they are back in action when they host third-placed Burnley at Hillsborough next Saturday.

Charles was Wednesday's hero against Coventry on Saturday, and the on-loan midfielder's performances have been crucial in the recent turnaround, but Rohl will be concerned about the prospect of him being recalled by parent club Southampton in January.

Danny Rohl on potential Shea Charles recall

Charles joined Wednesday on a season-long loan in the final week of the summer transfer window, but Rohl admitted last week that he cannot rule out the possibility of the Saints activating their recall option in January, particularly if he maintains his current form.

"There is a reason why I wanted to bring him here,” Rohl told The Star.

"I felt we needed exactly such a key player in the middle of the pitch. He is a good cover with Barry and we come more and more together, it all means Barry has some freedom and can attack again. It's the reason why he (Bannan) has goals and assists because he knows Shea is always working hard in both directions. He is strong with and against the ball, he is very good as a holding six. He understands where he has to cover, winning balls, accelerating the game.

"Hopefully we can keep him the whole season - you never know what happens if he performs in this direction.

"For me, he is a great player and you see what it means when you bring quality players in. This is the difference in this league. All in all we need a team performance every day, every week and it is all about the team. Team first, this is the clear message today. Without the team we have no chance to win games, it was a team performance. If we can cut out the individual mistakes then we are in a good way."

Sheffield Wednesday will be nervous about potential Shea Charles exit in January

Charles has started all six league games since his arrival at Hillsborough in August and the difference he has made to Wednesday should not be underestimated.

The Owls' midfield was alarmingly exposed in their defeats to Sunderland and Leeds United in the early weeks of the season, but they have had no such problems with Charles in the team, and his quality on the ball has been clear for all to see.

Charles' midfield partner Barry Bannan described him as "a boy who plays beyond his years" and the "perfect foil" for him, and that is backed up by the fact that the Scot has scored twice since playing alongside the Southampton loanee, which is double the amount of goals he managed in the whole of last season.

It should perhaps not be a surprise to see Charles make a big impact given that the Saints signed him from Manchester City last summer in a deal worth £15 million, and if he continues to perform at his current standards, his parent club will surely be tempted to bring him back to St Mary's in January.

Southampton head coach Russell Martin said that Charles' loan move to Wednesday was "perfect for him at this stage in his career" so he may be keen to allow him to remain at Hillsborough for the season but the 38-year-old is under increasing pressure after his side's poor start to life back in the Premier League, and his departure could have implications for Charles' future.

The Saints have picked up just one point from their first seven league games, and while Martin looks set to survive the current international break, there are huge question marks over whether he will still be in charge in January.

Should Southampton make a managerial change, Martin's successor may decide to bring Charles back to the club to help in their battle against relegation, so the Owls are facing an anxious wait, and they will be watching developments on the South Coast closely.