Considerations over Di'Shon Bernard as Sheffield Wednesday's 565-day mission nears end
Di’Shon Bernard took another significant step forward in his long, long rehabilitation from injury last week.
The last time Di’Shon Bernard stepped out on a football field, Sheffield Wednesday were two points from the Championship play-off places. Much, of course, has happened since - both for club and player.
A dank March 2025 day at West Bromwich Albion saw the Jamaica international hobble out of what would become a 2-1 defeat having initially attempted to continue playing. And it’s been rough. Setbacks followed and a handful of surgeries set his return date back; first from the latter stages of last summer’s pre-season to February, to March and then into the early stages of this campaign. Bernard has spoken with positivity about the intense mental challenges the 18 months or so have thrown up - and his determination to come back strong.
After a successful summer and after the 25-year-old stepped out into a full training match exercise at Middlewood Road last week to the delight of his teammates, Bernard is closer than ever to making his return. No doubt fighting his own battle throughout his rehabilitation process, the confidently-spoken defender has taken on leadership responsibilities behind the scenes, at times mentoring younger players and retaining an influential voice in the changing room.
Grinning when describing the step taken behind the scenes as Bernard continued his step-up in recovery last week, Owls boss Henrik Pedersen spoke glowingly on how the Wednesday man has tackled the challenge - and how much he is looking forward to having him back in contention.
“It will be amazing,” Pedersen told The Star. “He has grown so much in his personality to be a leader in this group. When we have had some challenges, maybe at half-time or in overtime he speaks and it shows how he has grown as a leader in the dressing room. It has been amazing. All the players have a big, big respect for Dish, because he is a top human.
“He also gives honest feedback to the other guys. He is a strong leader, a strong personality. Everyone is looking forward that Dish can be back again.”
No public timescale has been placed on Bernard’s return to full senior football as careful consideration continues on how to manage what is hoped to be the final push on his recovery. September feels an important month and it may well be that the defender goes through the gears of under-21 football before he is thrown back into the intensity of life in League One.
Pedersen and his coaching staff have been praised by several playing figures for their man management in difficult situations and Bernard himself has spoken positively about the support he has received.
The Dane said: “We have been in touch the whole way. In a phase like this, when you get injured, it is a journey itself to come through this. When you have your injury, then you have your ups and downs. In this moment it is not a problem on the pitch, it is outside the pitch and it is in the head as well as in the body.
“You have expectations of how quickly it can go. Then maybe you get a knock back, you have to rest two or three days, and then you can speed up again. Of course, there is a lot of ups and downs in a period where you go from being injured, where you can do nothing.
“Then when you start and you want to speed up, then it is also ups and downs. Here we have had a lot of conversations about his personal development in this. He has grown so much. He is just a fantastic guy and a fantastic player.”
In a vastly-altered squad, Wednesday’s defensive line is yet to settle as senior men Ricardo Santos and Liam Cooper continue their own returns to full match fitness. Any seriousness of a hamstring concern suffered by Sil Swinkels in the midweek defeat to Wolves is not yet known - but absolute care will be given to Bernard and his final stage process. At the time of publication the comeback mission has stretched across 565 days and there is no desire to rush things beyond what is sensible now.
“We have to be very careful. We want to have courage, but careful,” Pedersen continued. “I think we all know when we come back from injury that the trust to yourself, the trust to your body is very, very important. I can see now when he moves on the pitch that he looks really, really good.
“He looks comfortable in his movement, but it is step by step. We always have the human behind the player, in his body, so there is trust, there is belief in this. I am just looking forward, but step by step.”