Teenage loanee Romelle Donovan has impressed since stepping into Chris Wilder's Sheffield United first team, despite being asked to shoulder a heavier workload than initially planned.

With three forwards currently unavailable, Romelle Donovan has been asked to shoulder a heavier workload than Chris Wilder initially planned for the young Brentford loanee. But the teenage loan man has impressed Sheffield United supporters with his work on and off the ball.

The 19-year-old has started all of United's Championship matches and also featured in their League Cup victory at Blackburn Rovers last month. The highlight was a spectacular late winner against Bolton Wanderers soon after.

In an ideal world United would have eased the youngster back into Championship football a little, but the current injury situation - with Tahith Chong and Ryan One both out - left United short of options in the forward positions even before Callum O’Hare’s deadline-day exit.

“We’re pretty unfortunate that we’ve lost three forwards, so he’s had to take the load on his shoulders,” Wilder said. “But I’ve got to say, his attitude has been spot on.

“I believe, in my opinion, the fans have really taken to him. He’s brave, he’s brave out of possession, he tracks back, he works hard in possession, he takes the ball and he’s learning his trade.

“There’s times where he would have come off a lot earlier and there are times maybe he wouldn’t have started,, so we’d get that freshness regarding him and the front players.

“But we haven’t got the luxury of changing it and doing what Norwich did on Saturday, changing centre forward, changing wide left, changing wide right, and then leaving two players, one a starter, not even in the group, to give him a rest, that’s where they are at the moment,” Wilder explained.

The return of some of United's injured forwards should eventually give Wilder greater scope to manage Donovan's workload, while the manager also continues to consider different formations.

For now, though, the teenager remains an important part of the picture as United return to Blackburn Rovers this evening. He scored his first goal for United at Ewood Park a fortnight ago but there have been low moments, too.

Wilder didn’t absolve him of criticism after he switched off against Norwich on Saturday for their opening goal, but he is well in credit since he arrived at Bramall Lane.

“He is going to make mistakes and he has to be accountable for that,” Wilder added. “And I’m not going to hide behind anything, he understands that. I spoke to him, and when he goes back to Brentford, that small detail might cost his club three points in the Premier League.

“I’m not saying that it cost us on Saturday, but he didn’t get the detail right. But he’s done more positive things than negative things and he’ll learn from it. He takes everything in, he works hard. He’s a diligent boy in his work, he tracks back.

“I think he’s been great. He was on his knees the other night against Bolton and popped up and drove forward and smashed one in the top corner that got us three points,” Wilder said.

“I think he’s going to have dips through the season, and he’s going to be out of the team. But he’s a good player to work with and we’re really enjoying it.”