Sheffield Wednesday are set to welcome defender Di’Shon Bernard back to first team action this week when the Owls travel to League Two outfit Salford City in the EFL Trophy.
The 25-year-old has been on the sidelines since hobbling off during a 2-1 defeat against West Bromwich Albion in February 2025. It soon became apparent that the issue was a big one, with a number of small surgeries having ruled him out of contention for the last 19 months.
Having joined the club following his release from Manchester United in 2023, the centre-back soon became a popular figure at Hillsborough. Despite his absence, manager Henrik Pederson has been full of praise for the player, describing him as one of the leaders of the group during an interview last month.
Bernard To Make Long-Awaited Return
Bernard returned to the field in an under-21s fixture against Charlton Athletic last week, but now appears ready to make the step up. Sheffield Wednesday kick off their EFL Trophy campaign tomorrow night as they look to bounce back from back-to-back 0-0 draws in League One.
Speaking to The Sheffield Star, Pedersen confirmed that he will be looking to field a strong line-up:
“We start with Tuesday evening, and on Tuesday evening we will put a good team on the pitch. We will take it very, very seriously, and we will have the best out of this game.
“I’m looking forward to Tuesday to make a good game.”
The manager was then asked if Bernard could feature:
“It’s still the goal that he will play on Tuesday. We have not decided this yet, but I imagine 45 minutes or something.”
EFL Trophy To Provide Perfect Stepping Stone
This is a very different environment at Sheffield Wednesday to the one in which Bernard last appeared for. His last appearance came under the guidance of Danny Rohl, with the club sitting in the upper reaches of the Championship.
Of course, we all know what has happened since. A series of points deductions, the outing of Dejphon Chansiri, the takeover led by Daniel Storch and relegation to League One have all led to a new era at Hillsborough.
It has been a strong start to the campaign, although recent 0-0 draws against Wigan Athletic and Stockport County have seen them surrender their lead at the top of the table to Bradford City. Pedersen’s team are now set for an extended break from league action, with the games against Stevenage and Cambridge United postponed due to international call-ups.
Therefore, the EFL Trophy will provide the perfect opportunity to pick up some positive results, starting with tomorrow’s trip to Salford. They then face Sunderland under-21s on October 6th before a short trip to Huddersfield Town four days later in League One.
