Sheffield Wednesday defender Di’Shon Bernard returned to first-team football after 19 months out with a knee injury, coming on during the Owls’ 2-1 EFL Trophy win at Salford City. Manager Henrik Pedersen said Bernard experienced a mixture of nerves and fear but handled the occasion well, making the comeback an important personal milestone and a potential boost for Wednesday’s promotion campaign.

Bernard, aged 25, had not played since suffering the injury against West Bromwich Albion in February 2025 and had endured surgery and further setbacks. He recently played 45 minutes for the under-21s before being given first-team minutes at Salford, where Wednesday recovered from Ben Woodburn’s opener to win through second-half goals; the club is expected to manage Bernard’s return gradually.