Sheffield United: Oli McBurnie suffers another fitness set back, Paul Heckingbottom reveals

Speaking after a second-half goal from George Baldock proved enough to secure a win over Cardiff City, Heckingbottom acknowledged the injury which forced the centre-forward to miss the trip to Wales might force Bramall Lane’s medical staff to revise his projected comeback date.

“Oli will still have the operation on his hernia,” Heckingbottom explained. “But how we rehab him could be affected by his ankle. He has had a scan and it showed what he’s done (to an ankle). We’re obviously still hopeful for him. But we’ll just have to see.”

After pushing himself through the pain barrier in recent weeks, McBurnie suffered his latest fitness issue towards the end of United’s defeat by Rotherham - their only loss in four outings. Anel Ahmedhodzic was taken ill during that contest and, despite being expected to feature against City, also missed out together with John Fleck. Like Ahmedhodzic, the Scotland international also had to be substituted against Matt Taylor’s side.

Although he refused to divulge the exact nature of Ahmedhodzic’s condition, Heckingbottom did warn it “could keep him out for a while” - meaning he his unlikely to complete the training schedule United’s coaching staff have designed for the World Cup break.

“With Flecky, he took a blow right where he fractured his leg a while back,” said Heckingbottom, who saw Jack Robinson limp-off with a hamstring complaint. “It was swollen and too painful.”