Huge boost for Sheffield United over 19-goal ace, five-goal dangerman ahead of crunch festive games

Two of Sheffield United’s upcoming opponents before Christmas have been rocked by huge injury blows to key men ahead of facing the table-topping Blades. United have suffered their own availability issues of late, of course, with Oliver Arblaster expected to miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL and both Anel Ahmedhodzic and Harry Souttar missing Sunday’s trip to West Brom through suspension.

But their rival sides are also feeling the pinch as the busy festive period approaches and United’s next opponents at Bramall Lane, Plymouth Argyle, will make the long trip to South Yorkshire next weekend without their talisman Morgan Whittaker. The forward will not feature for the Pilgrims again this year with a toe injury, joining skipper Joe Edwards and fellow joint-top scorer Ibrahim Cissoko on the sidelines.

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Whittaker scored 19 goals in the Championship last season and will be a big miss for Wayne Rooney’s side as they look to cause something of an upset and become the first Championship side to win at Bramall Lane this term - with their former goalkeeper Michael Cooper looking to continue his remarkable run of form in South Yorkshire since his summer move from Home Park.

“It's really strange,” Rooney said. “I have never seen the amount of injuries we are picking up. It's frustrating but we have to go with the players who are fit and available and work with them. He [Whittaker] has got a small crack. He doesn't need surgery on it but it will keep him out until around about January. It's a big blow, the same with all the rest of the players who we are missing.

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"We are missing quite a lot, as I keep saying, but some players are going to get another opportunity and I hope on Saturday [v Oxford United] they are ready to go and put in a good performance at home. Of course, the result is the most important thing but we need to really get the fans behind us and play with an energy, character and intensity which can help us win the game."

Unitedites will shed no tears over the news that defender Jake Cooper will miss out when United travel to Millwall next Wednesday evening, with a knee issue expected to keep him out until well into the new year. “He’s going to be missing for circa 10 weeks,” Harris said of Cooper, who has scored five times in his last eight Championship games against United.

“He’s got a knee injury picked up after 15 seconds against Stoke. He completed the game and was able to take his kids out on the Sunday and then Monday it sort of flared up and it was swollen. We scanned him start of last week and it showed the damage. He’s going to be in a brace for six weeks and then the time frame after that, we’re looking at probably a three to four weeks recovery period.”