Di’Shon Bernard will be available for Dave Challinor’s first match as Sheffield Wednesday’s manager.

The Owls travel to Boundary Park on Sunday in front of the TV cameras in the first round of the competition. Challinor was appointed on Monday and has been taking his first training sessions and undertaking his first media duties this week.

Bernard is in contention after missing the last three matches, while Jamal Lowe will be available after serving a three-match ban after his red card against Notts County. But Sil Swinkels will be unavailable due to suspension after Wednesday opted not to appeal his red card against Blackpool.

On Bernard, Challinor said: “Dish is fine, available, has trained all week. Obviously for somebody like Dish, who's been out for so long, him coming back was brilliant for everybody. We're still managing that. He wants to play all the time, wants to train all time, which is brilliant. I suppose to manage him the other way is much better than having to kick him out on the pitch to say get out there.”

However, Challinor will have to wait a little while for others to return in the coming days and weeks, such as Liam Cooper and Joe Lumley. Billy Mitchell, Ali Al-Hamadi and Reece James remain out.

Speaking about Cooper, Challinor explained: “Coops probably not for the weekend, but more precautionary than anything else. Coops is a warrior. He'll be saying that he wants to play. If needs must, then maybe we could, but probably look at Plymouth for him rather than risk anything prior to that.”

On Lumley, Challinor said: “Unlikely to be involved on Sunday. Again, if Sunday was the final game of the season, I would imagine Joe would be knocking on our door saying ‘I am playing.’ It was obviously a contact injury. He's been outside. He's been joining with the goalkeepers. He's been limited with his diving, just out of precaution, more than anything else. But we're hoping that next week he'll be absolutely fine and available, which is again a bit positive.”

And on Al-Hamadi, he added: “Ali's got a little a little tweak, I think, from doing a finishing session, but not as bad as feared. We hope he'll be joining in training next week.”