Sheffield Wednesday‘s Jordi Liongola is expected to return from his injury layoff next month after Henrik Pedersen issued an update on the wing-back’s condition.
One of the several summer signings the Owls made this summer, the 26-year-old played twice for the club against Bolton Wanderers and Leyton Orient before suffering an injury in training.
Lowe And Liongola Updates Revealed
The Burundi international has now missed six straight games, and combined with a separate blow to fellow defender Max Lowe, has left Wednesday somewhat short in depth on the flanks of their back line.
Speaking to the Sheffield Star in the buildup to their clash against fellow promotion chasers Stockport County, head coach Henrik Pedersen gave a timeline on both players, providing some form of optimism.
“It’s going really, really well (for Liongola). He’s moving ahead like we want, maybe a little bit in front. So it’s really good. I still think it will be three or four weeks before we see him.”
“It’s going really well (for Lowe), but there will still be some weeks before he can really speed up.”
Wednesday have already had their fair share of frustration with injuries, with midfielder Tyler Onyango taken out for the full season after suffering an ACL injury on debut.
Progress has also been seen with other players stuck on the sidelines after Di’Shon Bernard finally played a match for the first time in over 18 months, featuring for the Owls’ academy squad in a match over the weekend.
Bernard Return Can Cover Injuries
With Jordi Liongola and Max Lowe’s injuries hampering the options Henrik Pedersen has at his disposal, a returning figure could be the key to help them navigate the next month.
While it will certainly be some time before he is match fit, Di’Shon Bernard is now able to play in matches after playing in a youth game this weekend, and with time, should be able to be included in squads.
His return will give Pedersen some needed flexibility with how he deploys other players, and that could enable Yan Valery to play in a more advanced position with a switch to right-back for club captain Liam Palmer.
However, given the several setbacks he has faced, proceeding with caution for Bernard is likely, meaning that he is unlikely to be starting from the off in the league, but in EFL Trophy matches, his return can hand respite to key players.
