Oliver Arblaster's Sheffield United recovery timescale hope as key man nears important injury milestone
Oliver Arblaster's Sheffield United recovery timescale hope as key man opens up on injury return plan
Oliver Arblaster has targeted a return to the Sheffield United starting XI for September’s trip to recently-relegated Ipswich Town - even if he still has outside hopes of strapping on his boots even earlier than that. The Blades midfielder has been missing since November after suffering a devastating ACL injury.
The road back has been a gruelling one, both mentally and physically, with Arblaster still forced to watch his teammates in training from the gym on their pre-season tour to Girona. He has spent some time on the grass, too, doing some individual work but is still a couple of weeks off a return to full training, which he is seeing as the next milestone in his recovery journey.
The 21-year-old was forced to watch on helplessly on the sidelines as the Blades came within 15 minutes of a return to the Premier League at Wembley in late May, and is itching to be able to make a contribution on the field. But at the same time he understands the need for patience, to make sure he can return at the same level and, crucially, not risk any further damage.
“The physios say September [to return to action] but my body feels really good at the minute,” Arblaster said in an exclusive sit-down chat with The Star at their base in Spain. “I’m in a really good place. I feel good. If I could play tomorrow I’d say yes, but they wouldn’t let me and I get that the timing has to be right.
Oliver Arblaster reveals Sheffield United injury timescale hope as key man opens up on recovery thought process
“With these injuries, you can’t reallty put a date on it because it could be before or after. You never really know. But my aim is for it to be before that and for everything to keep going as it is at the minute, because I feel really good.
“I’ve just got to keep working hard and keep badgering the physios to progress me quicker. But I should be back in full training soon, and that will be really good. Just to be with the lads again. I’ve not fully trained for eight months.
“So in a couple of weeks, hopefully I’ll get back into full training and have some solid weeks. Just that, for me, would be amazing, just to be around the boys again and get a little bit of fitness back into me.”
Given the chance, Arblaster would declare himself available for Tuesday’s first pre-season friendly of the summer, away at York City, but is mature enough to understand that this is not the time to cut any corners after such a gruelling rehabilitation process so far, which has tested him both mentally and physically.
“I tell myself in my head that I want to play now and, in myself, I feel good,” he added. “My scores in testing are really good, and I’d want to play tomorrow but I’d also be thinking: ‘I’ve done eight months now, I’ve got hopefully my whole career ahead of me and if I want to come back at the same level I was at before, I need to make sure that I’m coming back like that rather than not fully ready.’
“So if I have to suck it up for a few more weeks, then so be it. We’ve got the September international break after about four games and so if I can buy two extra weeks there and get back for the game after that, then I’ll do that. Definitely.”