Sheffield United: Championship leaders issued with promotion warning
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Having won all of their last four outings and not conceded a goal since the end of last month, United are preparing for next weekend’s visit of Birmingham City three points above second-placed Norwich City and a further five in front of Blackburn Rovers in seventh.
But with news that defender Anel Ahmedhodzic could be facing a prolonged period on the sidelines after damaging a muscle whilst on duty with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Heckingbottom has insisted the battle for Premier League football is only just beginning to take shape. That, coupled with the competition’s notoriously unpredictable nature, means he is planning to remind United’s squad of its responsibilities before the meeting with City in eight days’ time.
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Hide Ad“You’ve got to do a lot of things right to get a win in this division,” Heckingbottom said. “Especially away from home but also when you’re on your own patch. Nothing is never easy. Nobody gives you anything.
“There’s times when, make no doubt about it, you’ve got to dig in and find a way through. But if you let things slide, if you take your foot off the pedal even slightly, that’s enough to let people in. You can’t afford to give them any opportunities at all.”
As United’s medical staff prepare to offer their own timescale regarding Ahmedhodzic’s rehabilitation - the Bosnian FA believe he could be out of action for “at least” a month - Heckingbottom faces an anxious wait to discover if any more of those under his command sustain knocks representing their respective countries.
Nine of those who featured during United’s victory over Preston North End were called-up, alongside Reda Khadra, Daniel Jebbison, Oliver Arblaster, Hasan Ayari and Sai Sachdev.
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Hide Ad“We’re incredibly proud of them,” Heckingbottom said. “But we also just want them to come back fit, as we’re going into another really busy period. We’re going to need them and also the lads who are coming back from injury.”