Sheffield United: Covid-19 is continuing to cause problems behind the scenes

Paul Heckingbottom, the Sheffield United manager, has admitted the continued threat of Covid-19 outbreaks is complicating his planning for Championship games.
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Although United are yet to request a fixture postponement because of the coronavirus, several members of Heckingbottom’s squad have tested positive in recent weeks with the 44-year-old himself forced to miss their visit to Derby County after being told to isolate at home.

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As well as casting a shadow over the transfer window, with Heckingbottom reporting that clubs were reluctant to move on players for fear of “being left short”, social distancing measures introduced in response to the pandemic mean he is devising myriad different selection strategies, rather than simply one or two, ahead of fixtures.

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“You can work with a team (in training) and then someone goes down (with Covid),” Heckingbottom explained, ahead of Wednesday’s game against West Bromwich Albion.

“It can change at any given moment, so you need to be able to adapt and also be flexible. You never know what is going to happen, so you have to try and cover lots of different bases. It can be difficult to try and do anything too concrete.”

United were beaten 4-0 when they visited The Hawthorns earlier this term, although their preparations for the match were overshadowed by goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale’s efforts to force through a move to Arsenal.

Paul Heckingbottom, the Sheffielod United manager: Simon Bellis / SportimagePaul Heckingbottom, the Sheffielod United manager: Simon Bellis / Sportimage
Paul Heckingbottom, the Sheffielod United manager: Simon Bellis / Sportimage

“It changed the emphasis during the window as well,” Heckingbottom added. “That was different too. You can’t be so straight-forward in letting people go. And then there’s the dynamic I’ve spoken about.”