Video: Nahki Wells suffers injury blow as Huddersfield Town consider their options

The Bermuda international stayed behind as the rest of the squad flew to Austria for a week-long training camp that will feature friendlies against Stuttgart tonight and Torino on Friday.

Wells, Town’s record signing when he joined from Bradford City in 2014, is into the final 12 months of his contract.

Reading have been strongly linked with the 27-year-old, sources in Berkshire even suggesting last week a £10m bid was imminent, and Wagner has admitted that the striker “was a name on the market”.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Post at the team’s hotel in Kirchberg, Austria, the Terriers’ head coach revealed an injury blow for Wells that the club’s medical team believe may have its roots in an old injury.

He said: “There are further investigations and, at the minute, there is a doubt if he needs surgery. He has a screw in his ankle from an injury ten years ago.

“Maybe we have to get that screw out.

“We will know more about this at the end of the week.

“This means he will be missing for the next two or three weeks – maybe slightly longer.”

News that Wells will definitely miss the start of Huddersfield’s league season is a blow, though Wagner insists the fact the striker has been at the club for such a long time is a plus.

“The good thing is Nahki knows us so well that even if he misses some weeks it is not a problem for him,” added the German.

“He is a player we have not been able to get so many training sessions into for pre-season, not as many as we like. But Nahki knows us well.”

Pressed on Wells’s future and whether Reading or any other club had followed up their initial interest with a firm bid, Wagner replied: “No, nothing that I can really speak about.

“Of course, there are some phone calls and e-mails behind the scenes, but nothing to speak about officially. Nothing that will interest you.

“The window is still very early and we have five weeks left. We are in a very strong position because we have done much of our business so early.

“This means we can work on any ins and outs, but from a very relaxed position.”

Bradford are keeping a close eye on the situation, the League One club having a substantial sell-on clause in the deal that took Wells to the John Smith’s Stadium for a fee that is now believed to have topped £1.75m in add-ons.

Another club who Town’s transfer business could impact upon this month is Barnsley.

Andy Yiadom remains very much on the top-flight club’s radar after a hugely impressive season in the Championship. A bid of around £750,000 was rejected by the Reds, who are so keen to hold onto the defender that a new contract has been offered.

This, though, has done little to douse the speculation that Huddersfield are ready to weigh in with another bid to test Barnsley’s resolve.

Wagner, however, remained non-committal when quizzed on Yiadom ahead of this evening’s friendly with Stuttgart in Schwaz.

He said: “I like to make it easy – if you ask me about Yiadom, then you will ask me about the next player and the next player.

“I don’t like to discuss any individuals. Like I have said already, we are working on some further ins and outs.

“If it happens, no one knows. The window is open for another few weeks. We have to announce something then we will do it, but there is nothing, at the minute, where I can say something will happen in 24 hours. We are in a very relaxed position.”

Town’s interest in Yiadom centres on the need to bring in support for Tommy Smith, who has missed the whole of pre-season with the foot injury that forced the captain out of last May’s Championship play-off final.

Smith, however, should return to action tonight against newly-promoted Stuttgart in a friendly that will be shown live on German TV.

Along with Michael Hefele, another notable absentee in the recent run of friendlies, Smith is expected to play 45 minutes as Wagner again gives as many of his squad, as is possible, time on the pitch.

Trialist Dimitri Cavare is unlikely to play, though, due to a muscle problem leaving the defender with just Friday’s clash against Torino to try to earn a contract.

Another missing this evening will be Martin Cranie, who has suffered a hamstring problem that could also rule him out of the tour’s second game in Jenbach.

One youngster who could be leaving in the near future on loan is 19-year-old Regan Booty, who is wanted by Yeovil Town.

Wagner added: “He was with them on trial. We are in discussions on what it looks like, maybe on a loan.

“But there is nothing decided so far.”