International break won't change Sheffield United mindset over heavy schedule
Seven Blades players have been called up for international duty, but Wilder knows his squad will need managing ahead of another demanding week of Championship fixtures.
Sheffield United players may be getting the best part of a fortnight off, but that doesn’t mean that Chris Wilder won’t rotate as the Blades face another three-match week after the international break.
Fans may see the current interval as a chance for players to rest and recover after playing nine games since the previous domestic pause, but seven first-team players have been called up by their respective nations.
Despite the fact that the rest of the squad will presumably be granted some form of downtime during the first week of the break, Wilder has insisted he will still need to rotate as his side face Watford at Bramall Lane next Saturday before hosting play-off rivals Southampton on Tuesday, November 24 and then travelling down to Loftus Road to play against QPR four days later.
Wilder said he’s constantly monitoring the risk of players' minutes through the season, especially during weeks when United play three times in seven days: “We're not coming into the last two or three weeks of the season where we've got a whole six or eight weeks of summer to recover.”
“We're plotting,” he continued. “Do you want to keep your best team out there and you want to go Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday? Of course you do, but that's not the case when you pick up injuries.
“I'm still a big supporter of the old reserve team scenario and set-up. Not just to give the players the opportunity of getting some competitive match minutes, but for the younger players as well to play with senior players in a competitive game.”
It’s no secret that the Blades boss places high value on the way players conduct themselves. Being a good footballer does not guarantee you a spot in Chris Wilder's team.
“I'm always attitude over ability, you know that. That won't change. You have to have a certain skill set to play at this level, but you have to have a really good attitude for the younger players to play in those games and the players that are out injured.
“I don't want to risk players and put them in a situation where there's a red flag flying around,” he added.