Sheffield United are still plotting and making plans despite break in competition

But as the Sheffield United manager waits and wonders like the rest of the country for things to return to normal, he is determined to use his time wisely rather than simply sit around and kick his heels.

So Wilder is still plotting, planning and strategizing for matches which, assuming the season isn’t shelved altogether, will take place sometime. He just isn’t sure when.

Although the health of their families is the immediate priority as coronavirus threatens to do its worst, United’s coaching staff and players are continuing to try and take care of football too, despite the obvious challenges.

So, with Sunday’s meeting with Mikel Arteta’s side going the same was as last weekend’s Premier League trip to Newcastle, Wilder is still studying footage of the clubs his squad is scheduled to face between now and the end of the campaign. The notes he takes, referencing their strengths, weaknesses and foibles, will be used to shape United’s own tactics and selections when the game eventually cranks back into life.

“You’ve got to be brave to change a winning team,” Wilder said. “But we’re certainly not afraid to do it.

“Different matches present different challenges and you have to be ready for them. To do that, as we’ve shown in the past, sometimes it means you swap things around a bit. We’ll always pick the group we think is best suited for a particular situation.”

Consistency, in terms of both personnel and approach, has been a characteristic of United’s work throughout a season which, until it was suspended because of the worsening health crisis, had seen them reach seventh in the table and the last eight of the cup.

Only three clubs - Leicester City, Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers - have used less players in the competition since August. And all of those are what Wilder, who has deployed 22, would describe as being “established” in the top-flight.

Although his gameplans are more complex than some analysts have characterised - United’s 3-5-2 formation has been switched to a 5-3-2 and sometimes a 3-4-1-2 as they chase European qualification on two fronts - the majority of Wilder’s switches have focused on attacking areas of the pitch. Callum Robinson, recently loaned to West Bromwich Albion, and David McGoldrick were the 52-year-old’s preferred front two following United’s promotion from the Championship. Now, after Lys Mousset’s golden streak over the Autumn period, it is Oli McBurnie and Billy Sharp. However Wilder’s words, coupled with McGoldrick’s recovery from injury, remind why they can’t take a place in the starting eleven for granted.

“We’ll do what we feel is right for any given game,” he said. “The group is the most important thing, when it comes to trying to get results, and all the lads understand that. It’s not personal and it’s not about individuals or individual egos. It’s about trying to do what is right for everyone.”

United are likely to have a better idea about when they might return to action later this week, when PL chiefs review the situation during an emergency teleconference. UEFA’s decision to delay this summer’s Euro 2020 tournament for 12 months has seemingly created a window for the season to be completed and, by the time matches do resume, Wilder is likely to have compiled a series of tactical drafts tailored to specific games. United, for example, will not tackle Aston Villa or Southampton in the same way as, say, Chelsea or Tottenham Hotspur.

“We always try and be clever in everything we do,” Wilder said. “And we always prepare to the best of our abilities.”