Sheffield United brush off talk of major selection problem at critical stage of the season
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With Wes Foderingham suspended for Saturday’s game against Cardiff City after being sent-off during Monday’s game at Burnley, Davies is a certainty to deputise for the former Rangers player when Sabri Lamouchi’s side visit Bramall Lane.
A member of the Wales squad which travelled to last year’s World Cup in Qatar, the 30-year-old boasts a wealth of experience at all levels of the game and crucially, according to United manager Paul Heckingbottom, already enjoys the trust of his team mates having performed a crucial role in helping them reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup where they will face Manchester City at Wembley later this month. Davies covered for Foderingham earlier this term, when he was dismissed following the final whistle of a stormy encounter with Blackpool and has also faced Millwall and Wrexham in knockout competition since then.
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Hide Ad“Adam has already shown what he can do for us,” Heckingbottom told The Star. “He’s already had a run with us and he’s been in the cup. What he needs to do now is step up again and I know he will be able to do that.”
Foderingham, who has featured in 87 percent of United’s outings so far this term, saw red midway through the opening period of United’s defeat at Turf Moor after deliberately tripping Nathan Tella as he made his way into the penalty box. His exit proved to be the defining moment of a contest the visitors had threatened to take charge of during the early exchanges before Burnley, celebrating their return to the top-flight after only 11 months away, controlled from that point on. Although Foderingham’s absence at such a critical stage of the campaign will be a disappointment for Heckingbottom, whose side are second in the table and five points clear of third placed Luton Town, he is both confident in Davies’ ability and thankful that a player he previously worked with at Barnsley has sharpened his skills at the coal face already this term. Foderingham has conceded 1.25 goals per game in all competitions so far this term, keeping 17 clean sheets in the process. Davies has completed two shut-outs in eight appearances since August, being breached an average of 1.37 times per outing although four of the efforts he has conceded came during a Nations League fixture against Holland and when United found themselves at a numerical disadvantage during the meeting with Vincent Kompany’s men.
Despite being at fault for the second of Burnley midfielder Johan Berg Gudmundsson’s two strikes in Lancashire, Heckingbottom lauded Davies’ credentials following the final whistle as United’s focus switched towards the clash with City who make the journey north fighting for survival.
“Situations like this, they show why we felt it was important for Adam to get the game time that his performances and work in training have deserved and warranted,” Heckingbottom said. “What no one would want, least of all him, is to come in having not played for a long time, no matter how good you are.”