JAMES Beattie will not return to action against Cardiff City tomorrow, Sheffield United have confirmed.
Instead, the former England marksman has now pencilled in next month's visit to Derby County as his possible comeback date after coaching staff decided not to risk him during the meeting with Dave Jones' side.
Revealing that Beattie, who underwent a routine knee operation earlier this summer, is scheduled to undergo an exhaustive rehabilitation programme when the Championship retires for an international break following its latest round of matches, United manager Kevin Blackwell said: "Beatts won't be ready for the bench.
"I've maintained all along, this isn't Sheffield Blackwell, Sheffield Beattie, Sheffield Speed or Sheffield Sharp, it's Sheffield United.
"No-one is more important than the team and the club as a whole.
"Things have moved on since James was available, the situation has changed, so there are no givens. He accepts that.
"But, of course, it will be great to have Beatts back."
With Beattie, who scored 22 goals last term after joining United from Everton, an integral part of Blackwell's plans, the Lane boss's caution is understandable.
But it will also come as a major surprise to those supporters who witnessed Beattie complete a gruelling warm-up before Wednesday night's Carling Cup victory over Huddersfield, a result which stretched United's winning sequence to four games.
Insisting that the 30-year-old is no longer assured of a starting role, Blackwell added: "With the internationals coming up, we can squeeze a little bit more out of him.
"He'll be doing his own pre-season, that's for sure, before anything else happens.
"We've had some small-sided games in training and, although James has done a lot of running, you could tell he's just a little bit off the pace still."
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Blackwell plots the future
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