Injury risks and Wolves threat on Paul Heckingbottom’s Sheffield United agenda

Injury risks and Wolves threat on Paul Heckingbottom’s Sheffield United agenda

Paul Heckingbottom faces the media today in his Wolves pre-match press conference with Sheffield United and here are some of the topics that are likely to be on the agenda

Paul Heckingbottom faces the media on Thursday afternoon for his pre-match press conference. The Sheffield United boss will field questions from television, radio, print and online journalists ahead of their pivotal clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers this weekend.

Here is a run-down of some of the main topics on the agenda for the under-pressure Blades chief to address going into their latest Premier League fixture:

His future
It is the big talking point right now. United are only the fourth team in English top-flight history with one point or fewer in their opening 10 matches of a season, along with Manchester United in 1930-31 (0), West Bromwich Albion in 1985-86 (1) and the Blades themselves in 2020-21 (1).

Their wretched start to the campaign has piled the pressure on Heckingbottom. Multiple reports in the national media claimed Heckingbottom would lose his job if United suffered a heavy defeat at Arsenal. He remains in charge, despite a 5-0 thumping in North London.

Speaking after their Gunners drubbing, Heckingbottom said: “I’m a person who gets on with the job and that’s all I will do. “Continue to do the job to the best of my ability. The fans know they have a group of staff and players who are going to give everything.

“I know how hard I work, how hard the staff work and the players. Internally we’re very good at ignoring the noise but you can’t deny it’s there. Whether there’s anything in it, who knows? We’ve overcome a lot, we had all the external noise last season whether about administration or the transfer embargo or the club or players being sold.

“We could put that to one side and focus on our jobs and we have to do that again. We just focus on the internal things and more of an issue for us is the injuries and the squads and that’s one of the things that’s costing us. But we have to find a way to pick up points.”

It will be interesting to see if Heckingbottom has sought assurances from the powers at be over his position this week.

United’s injury crisis
A raft of senior players missed the trip to Arsenal. Will anyone be back and in the matchday squad to face Wolves on Saturday? United are long overdue some luck on the injury front.

Heckingbottom will definitely be without the services of Oli McBurnie. The striker is unlikely to return to action until after the international break because of a hamstring problem.

John Egan, Anel Ahmedhodzic and Tom Davies are long-term absentees, but Heckingbottom will no doubt be quizzed on the likes of Will Osula, Max Lowe, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Daniel Jebbison and Ismaila Coulibaly.

Tommy Doyle
The return of the prodigal son. Doyle will get a hero’s welcome from the Bramall Lane faithful this weekend, having impressed on loan at United last season.

Heckingbottom will probably be asked how close United came to re-signing Doyle in the summer. The Blades bolstered their midfield department late in the transfer window, capturing Vinicius Souza, Gus Hamer and Doyle’s Manchester City teammate McAtee.

Wolves challenge
It will be far from a straight forward assignment for United as they go in search of their first win of the season. Wolves are unbeaten in their last five league matches (W2 D3), their best unbeaten run since June 2020 (eight in a row).

Influential forward Pedro Neto looks unlikely to be available for selection, but Wanderers still possess plenty of attacking quality talent in their ranks. The hosts will have to be individually and collectively at it to get back to halt their poor run of form.

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