Johnnie Jackson makes frank Charlton Athletic admission ahead of Sheffield Wednesday challenge

Johnnie Jackson accepts he is in the midst of his "toughest period" since becoming Charlton Athletic manager as he prepares to take his side to Sheffield Wednesday.

High-flying Milton Keynes consigned Jackson’s demoralised and injury-ravaged side to a fourth straight defeat in midweek. The Addicks were without eight first-team players, including strikers Jayden Stockley, Chuks Aneke, Conor Washington, and Chelsea loanee Mason Burstow was also forced off with a hamstring complaint.

Stockley, a one-time Owls transfer target, and midfielder Scott Fraser could be included in the travelling squad for the trip to Hillsborough. Stockley has shrugged off a injury while Fraser has recovered from a bout of Covid-19.

Jackson, who took over from Nigel Adkins after he was sacked in October, has had 28 matches in charge of Charlton. They are currently 16th in the table, nine points above the drop zone following their poor sequence of results.

Jackson, appointed the Addicks permanent boss last December, said: “It’s the toughest period I’ve had – not just the results but the people we’ve had out makes it even more challenging.

“I firmly believe the whole picture of the season would look different if we’d kept those guys fit.

“To have that many key players out is going to make things difficult. The facts are there – with all the guys fit we compete with every one of those teams. We’ve just fallen a little bit short in some of them and to say those guys would’ve made a difference, I don’t think that is overstating it.

“The byproduct is that you find yourself defending more. By not having some of those attackers you’re not able to sustain your own pressure in games because you’re not retaining the ball as you would normally."

Jackson,