Sheffield United chief Chris Wilder has outlined his plans for the international break, with the period earmarked as a good opportunity to reset before they return to action against Lincoln City next month

Sheffield United will balance rest and recovery with a period of hard work before their return to Championship action next month, Chris Wilder has revealed, as the Blades prepare for what could be a vital period in their season. After the weekend defeat at Stoke, United don’t return to action until October 10.

But they will not spend the next three weeks before the home clash with Lincoln City with their feet up, with a structured break planned for the players staying behind at Shirecliffe as Wilder looks to get them refreshed and ready for the next phase of the season.

Some will go away with their countries, with Liam Kitching called up to the Republic of Ireland senior squad for the first time alongside Tom Cannon and Sydie Peck once again joining up with England’s U21s.

But those who stay behind in Sheffield will undergo detailed tactical, physical and individual sessions during the second week of an elongated break which provides respite from a congested early-season schedule.

“They've got to have the rest and recovery, which they will do in the first week,” Wilder said. “We're working hard during the second week. We'll work on certain aspects and situations. Physically, we'll work hard with the players.

“So, there'll be a whole mix of stuff that we'll work on. Tactical stuff that we'll work on, individual stuff, physical stuff. And a few mini days off for the players to recover, regroup, re-energise themselves for the next part of the season, which will be up towards Christmas.”

One of the areas of focus is expected to be United’s on-the-ball work, with Wilder suggesting a “looseness” in possession was one contributing factor to their weekend defeat at Stoke City.

“Our biggest fault was us in possession, just being loose around the edge of the box,” he said, when asked what he had identified as the biggest area for improvement over the break.

“But when we broke the game up, we have to be cleaner and smoother and create more and get us up the pitch and have a more sustained period of us in their final third or their half.

“So that's stuff that we need to be better with. We've got the players to do that, so maybe that's just a little bit of belief and confidence with the ball that is lacking a little bit at the moment. But we have to find that individually and as a team.”

United will also play at least one behind-closed-doors game during the break, which Hull City boss Sergej Jakirović recently revealed would be against the Premier League Tigers at the MKM Stadium on October 1.

Former Blades Oli McBurnie and John Egan will be absent, having earned recalls to the Scotland and Republic of Ireland squads respectively after leaving Bramall Lane, but it will be a good test against a side who have made a good start to life in the top flight after winning last season’s play-offs.

"I think that Oli fully deserves this invitation,” said Jakirović of McBurnie’s Scotland recall. “No anymore long holiday for him now but I am proud and he is already proud to represent your country and this is the highest level of football.”

United were also working on adding another in there to keep their players topped up ahead of the return to Bramall Lane, where they will look to turn around their form after a run of four defeats in their last five games.

“We've organised one. We might organise another as well to keep everybody at it,” Wilder said. I think it was always good to play a competitive game.

“I mean, it's not going to be a full-tilt Championship game, but it's going to be good enough so players will get those minutes.

So, we're possibly organising one or two of those. I think it's quite dangerous to go from Stoke City to Lincoln and not have any competitive game of some sorts in that period.

“So, we've got one and we're pretty close to another one.”