Wigan Athletic travel to face Sheffield Wednesday this Saturday in League One, with the hosts boosted by the imminent return of defender Di'Shon Bernard. The Manchester United academy product has not played since February 2025 but is scheduled to play 45 minutes for the under-21s against Charlton Athletic on Sunday as a final step in his recovery.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen confirmed the plan for Bernard this week. "He looks fresh, he looks good, he looks happy," Pedersen told reporters. The manager also praised the 25-year-old's character, adding, "He's not normal, in a very good way. His mentality is amazing. He's a strong character."
Pedersen is also managing the fitness of other defenders ahead of the weekend clash. Ricardo Santos and Sil Swinkels are being handled carefully, while experienced centre-back Liam Cooper went off injured at half-time during last Saturday's draw at Peterborough United. To cover these absences, the club has sent 19-year-old Joe Emery on a 28-day loan to Conference North side South Shields, following a similar short-term move for Dev Moses to Buxton.
Wigan head to Hillsborough looking to build on a goalless draw against the same opponents just days ago. That result on September 12th leaves Latics 24th in the League One table with just three points from their opening five matches. Their recent form shows one win, one draw, and three losses from the last five outings.
The sides played out a 0-0 stalemate in midweek, a result that did little to help either team's early-season ambitions. Wigan have struggled for goals, netting only five times while conceding eleven so far this campaign. They now sit nine points behind league leaders Sheffield Wednesday, underlining the size of the task facing them this weekend.
After the trip to South Yorkshire, Wigan's attention turns to a key home fixture against Wycombe Wanderers on September 19th. Wycombe currently sit 23rd, just one place above Latics, making it a vital six-pointer at the DW Stadium. Check the full schedule on our fixtures page. The club will hope the return of key players can spark an improvement in results, starting with a positive performance against a Wednesday side bolstered by returning defenders.
