Major Sheffield Wednesday blow highlights Danny Rohl, Dejphon Chansiri issue | OneFootball

The Owls have paid the price for a quiet January transfer window

Sheffield Wednesday will be left ruing their decisions in the January transfer window right now, with the news that Di’Shon Bernard has been ruled out until the end of the seaosn.

The Jamaican international was forced off just three minutes into the second-half in the 2-1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion last Saturday, having already gone down twice to receive treatment.

After being assessed by the Wednesday medical team, the 24-year-old is now predicted to be out for the remainder of the campaign, leaving the Owls considerably light in terms of defensive personnel for the remainder of the campaign.

With the blow happening just days after the transfer window came to a close, there will be plenty at Hillsborough regretting the decision to not add another centre-back during January, with their club left to pay the price in the coming months.

Di’Shon Bernard blow leaves Sheffield Wednesday light in defensive areas

While Bernard’s injury is a blow in itself, it isn’t helped by the fact that two other central defenders are also on the sidelines right now, with Akin Famewo and Dominic Iorfa both currently out of action for the foreseeable future.

Iorfa has been ruled out for two months following a muscular injury sustained in the 2-2 draw with Millwall near the start of the year, meaning he is unlikely to return to action until mid-March, with a number of crucial fixtures coming between now and then.

As for Famewo, it has been a long-term muscular issue that the defender has had to deal with which has seen him unfit for selection since late October, with Bernard the latest to be added to the list this month.

That leaves Michael Ihiekwe as the only recognised fit senior centre-back at the club right now, with Danny Rohl likely to call upon the adaptable Liam Palmer or Callum Patterson to help in a defensive manner, while 20-year-old Gabriel Otegbayo could also be an option.

The young Irishman has just one league start to his name this season, but may well need to be thrown into the mix to fill the void left by Bernard in the months to come, or Rohl may be left to consider free agent options after failing to add cover at the start of the year.

Sheffield Wednesday January transfer action comes under scrutiny

Wednesday had something of an off transfer window, with conflicting rumours coming out of Hillsborough regarding any incoming business, with owner Dejphon Chansiri claiming that Rohl hadn’t issued a list of transfer targets midway through the month.

While the German refuted those claims, the Yorkshire side still only managed to make two additions to their playing squad, with Ibrahim Cissoko [pictured] joining on loan from Toulouse for the remainder of the campaign, having started the season with Plymouth Argyle.

Japanese left-back Ryo Hatsuse has also made the move to the Steel City, but that lack of action now looks to be catching up with the play-off chasing Owls, who are down to the bare bones in terms of defensive options for the foreseeable future.

Chansiri is a man who has been prone to the odd questionable decision during his time in charge of Wednesday, and this latest issue highlights a bigger issue at its core, with the lack of communication and clarity from the boardroom creating problems across the club.

While Bernard and the defenders are the short-term issue right now, it feels like it is only a matter of time before Rohl runs out of patience with the Hillsborough hierarchy, when the German should be coveted at all costs.

That lack of action could well cost Wednesday a play-off place come the end of the season, with boardroom decisions coming back to haunt them just as the clouds were starting to lift in Owlerton.