The latest on Sheffield United's search for new signings

Although he conceded the overseas targets he has included on a list of recommendations presented to United’s board might be put off by the sight of his team languishing at the bottom of the table - they enter Saturday’s game against Crystal Palace still without a win this term - Wilder refuted suggestions the form book will influence decisions made by domestic based talent.

United are known to have expressed an interest in signing Lingard, the Manchester United midfielder, on loan during the winter transfer window.

Wilder, who has also been monitoring Sampdoria’s Omar Colley as he searches for cover for injured centre-half Jack O’Connell, said: “I think, from a foreign point of view, it will make it harder. From a domestic point of view, not necessarily. Why? Because, domestic players, if we bring one in on loan, they’ll understand the team a little bit more and look at the stats, the deeper ones beyond results, a little bit more.

“Obviously the points total isn’t pleasing on the eye. But those players (the loans) have nothing to lose. They aren’t tying themselves into us long-term. And the ambition, of any loan player coming to us now, will be to play as many games as they can.”

Confirming he wants players capable of being parachuted straight into the starting eleven rather than simply strengthening United’s squad, Wilder added: “From my point of view, and the recruitment department, we’ve passed them (the names) on and now it’s a level above me.

“We need, as I’ve always tried to do, to make the group better. It’s now over to the chief executive and the board to make the decisions they need to make and to pursue the targets we are looking at.”

United travel to Selhurst Park without the two first team players and members of their backroom staff who tested positive for Covid-19 before Tuesday’s match at Burnley.

Revealing the scale of the disruption United faced before the trip to Turf Moor, Wilder confirmed he is willing to be guided by the PL’s medical experts, and those working at the Steelphalt Academy, rather than calling for the fixture schedule to be paused himself.

“We had the positive tests before the game, and then there was a group of lads who had to go there via Manchester Airport to have more tests done. Those got turned around in 90 minutes and fortunately they came back negative, because those lads had been in contact with quite a few people. If they hadn’t, then we’d have been in a situation.”

"We’re not a big hitter in this division,” Wilder added, describing the latest rise in cases across the country as “sobering”. “We’ll play it with a straight bat, take advice from the Premier League’s medical experts and our own experts, and they’ll tell us what to do. I’m not an expert.”

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