Sheffield United: Fears key defender could be the latest long-term absentee

Sheffield United fear Chris Basham could miss the rest of the season, after being diagnosed with damage to a medial collateral ligament.
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Speaking after last night’s victory over Blackburn Rovers, which saw his team score an added time winner despite being reduced to 10 men midway through the second-half, manager Paul Heckingbottom confirmed Basham is expected to spend at least 14 days on the sidelines having suffered the damage during Saturday’s thrashing of Swansea City.

But The Star understands there are concerns behind the scenes he faces an even longer spell out, with coaching staff being told the worst case scenario could potentially see him ruled out for the remainder of the campaign.

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With fellow centre-half Charlie Goode now suspended for three matches following his red card for a challenge on Reda Khadra, United are now teetering on the brink of a defensive crisis ahead of crucial games against fellow promotion contenders Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough. Goode’s suspension will begin when they visit Millwall this weekend.

“Bash, he’s going to be out for a couple of weeks minimum.” Heckingbottom said, after Ben Davies’ Jayden Bogle and strikers Rhian Brewster and David McGoldrick until the summer. “But they will present and bring opportunities for someone else.”

Despite those off-the-pitch issues, United stretched their unbeaten run to nine games when Davies swept home after fellow substitute Oli McBurnie and Jack Robinson had made a nuisance of themselves from a John Fleck corner.

“Bash, he’s going to be out for at least two weeks,” Heckingbottom said, after watching Ben Davies’

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92nd minute finish lift United to sixth in the table; one point behind fifth-placed Rovers. “He’s damaged his MCL, so we’re just going to have to wait and see.”

Sheffield United defender Chris Basham (right): Simon Bellis / SportimageSheffield United defender Chris Basham (right): Simon Bellis / Sportimage
Sheffield United defender Chris Basham (right): Simon Bellis / Sportimage

“I’m not going to lie, the injuries are becoming a problem,” continued Heckingbottom, who is already without wing-back Jayden Bogle and strikers Rhian Brewster and David McGoldrick until the summer. “But they will present and bring opportunities for someone else.”

Despite those off-the-pitch issues, United stretched their unbeaten run to nine games when Davies swept home after fellow substitute Oli McBurnie and Jack Robinson had made a nuisance of themselves from a John Fleck corner.

Khadra had earlier seen a penalty saved by Wes Foderingham, when John Egan handled the German’s centre following Goode’s dismissal.

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“The one thing that’s a given with these lads,” said Heckingbottom, “Is that they’ll fight and fight for each other. That, anyone in the game will tell you, is probably the best way to win.

Paul Heckingbottom, the Sheffield United: Simon Bellis / SportimagePaul Heckingbottom, the Sheffield United: Simon Bellis / Sportimage
Paul Heckingbottom, the Sheffield United: Simon Bellis / Sportimage

“I don’t have any problems with the red card. I thought to begin with he had got the ball but then looking at it again, he didn’t. I didn’t have a problem with the penalty either. The referee got those two things right although, to be fair, I thought he got a lot of other things wrong.”

“We will always gamble for the win,” Heckingbottom added. “You can be sure about that. The lads never gave up on that, even though we were playing against a really good team and we knew that, in the circumstances, a point would have been a good point. They just kept on going, kept on fighting and with the help of the crowd got their reward.”