'The return is near' - Sheffield Wednesday star shares encouraging fitness update as new season looms
Following 18 months on the sidelines because of a serious knee injury, Di’Shon Bernard is hopeful he will soon make his Sheffield Wednesday comeback.
Sheffield Wednesday centre-back Di’Shon Bernard has said he is edging closer to making his long-awaited comeback from a long-term knee injury.
The 25-year-old, who joined the Owls in July 2023 after leaving Manchester United, has been sidelined since suffering a serious knee problem in a 2-1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns in February last year.
The centre-back was forced off during the first half of the narrow defeat to the Baggies and was initially ruled out for the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign. Unfortunately for the Jamaican international, he required more than one bout of surgery, meaning his return date continued to be pushed back.
Despite missing the entirety of the 2025/26 campaign, Bernard has made significant progress in his recovery at the Owls' Middlewood Road training ground over the past few months. Speaking to The Star back in February, Owls manager Henrik Pedersen did not rule out the possibility of the former Hull City loanee featuring before the end of last season, providing further evidence that his recovery was heading in the right direction.
Although Wednesday ultimately took no chances with the defender before the end of last season, and he did not feature in any of their pre-season friendlies this summer, Bernard took to social media to reveal that he is closing in on making his comeback.
Posting on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday evening, Bernard said: “The days nobody saw made these days possible. The return is near.”
Bernard was excellent during his first 18 months or so as a Wednesday player, consistently improving and establishing himself as a key member of the defence. His presence was sorely missed last season, so it will be a massive boost for the Owls to have him back in the not-too-distant future.
Hailing Bernard earlier this year, Pedersen told The Star: “He was our top defender last season (2024/25). His physical power, his acceleration, his skills to stay high up on the pitch, and, of course, his skills on the ball, they are really, really strong.
“So, of course, he's a fantastic centre-back, and we are looking forward to him being back again.”