Rhian Brewster’s Sheffield United injury return plan as boss urges caution

Sheffield United’s medical staff will not attempt to rush back Rhian Brewster from his most recent hamstring injury, Paul Heckingbottom has admitted, despite admitting that the club’s record signing is “progressing well” in his bid for fitness.

Brewster hasn’t been seen since damaging a hamstring at West Brom in late October and the former Liverpool striker suffered an unspecified “setback” in his recovery towards the end of the Blades’ promotion campaign.

The 23-year-old is desperate to return to full fitness and look to repay his big transfer fee in the Premier League after a disappointing season last time out in the top flight.

“Yes, it’s progressing well,” boss Heckingbottom confirmed of Brewster’s hamstring issue. “But the length of time he’s been out means we have to be more careful when he comes back.

“But after that setback towards the back end of last season, everything since then has been progressing well. But I’ll say it now, when Rhian comes back we're going to be very cautious and very careful with him.

“We have to be. No-one has worked harder than him and he's been fantastic around the place, still remaining positive, and we want to be positive around him as well. So we’ll just see it as a bonus when we get him back, get him on the pitch and get him competing.

“But we need to be really protective of him, as a group of staff and as a medical department. To make sure that, however long it takes, we get him back fit and ready.”