‘Hungry’ Rhian Brewster earmarked for big Sheffield United role as Blades receive pre-Arsenal injury boost

Rhian Brewster has been earmarked to play a big role for Sheffield United in the coming weeks and months after the Blades were handed some rare good news on the injury front ahead of this weekend’s tough trip to Arsenal. Defender George Baldock is back in training after missing almost two months with a calf issue he picked up on international duty with Greece.

Boss Paul Heckingbottom described the 30-year-old wing-back as “available” after training today, with further involvement planned for tomorrow [Friday] before United travel to the capital to face Mikel Arteta’s side. Oli McBurnie, who limped off last weekend against Manchester United with a groin issue, has not trained this week and underwent a scan today to ascertain the full nature of the injury.

With McBurnie a doubt for Arsenal, and Daniel Jebbison and Will Osula not available for the Emirates Stadium clash, Brewster could be handed the chance to lead the line as he continues his comeback from a serious hamstring injury that kept him sidelined for almost a year. Asked if this could be Brewster’s time to shine, the United chief admitted: “We hope so. He’s been working really well, there’s a hunger about him from the bench but there’s got to be a real degree of patience about him.

“We’re aware of the journey and how hard he’s worked but that’s not to say that he can’t deliver for us when he is in on the pitch. He’s looking sharp and hungry on training so he’s available for selection, we’re considering him and we’re really pleased with him. He’s certainly grown up and he’s aware of a lot of things in how he’s changed in terms of his mentality. I’ve seen him change a hell of a lot in coming up to three years that I’ve known him, I’ve got a lot of time for him and it’ll be special, I wish that effort at the weekend had dipped in, it’d be a good moment for him.”

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As well as limiting the options in his starting XI, United’s remarkable injury crisis has also hampered the substitutions that Heckingbottom is able to make in-game. They have the worst record of the bottom four in terms of conceding goals in the last 20 minutes and would be out of the bottom four if games ended at the 70-minute mark. Instead, they make the trip to the Emirates bottom of the table and still looking for their first win of the campaign.

“He could be on the pitch for 90,” Heckingbottom said of Brewster. “We haven’t been blessed with our full squad and max impact from all our subs. Mason Mount was their fourth sub, at whatever he cost, and we haven’t had that. I’d take our fully-fit squad against anyone in this league and we’d have a right go.

“At the minute we’re compromising that because no matter how well we’ve played, the levels do drop in the last 20 or 30 minutes and we want the bench to go on and have that big impact. If we started him I’d want his impact for as long as he can give it and when he blows up, we can change it.”