Sheffield United considering when to unleash Rhian Brewster on the Premier League

Although United’s coaching staff were always minded to hand Brewster his full debut when Scott Parker’s side visit Bramall Lane, they had considered easing the centre-forward into action from the bench before unleashing him on former club Liverpool later this month.

However, with David McGoldrick and Oliver Burke sustaining injuries on international duty, and John Egan’s involvement thrown into doubt by Covid-19 protocols, Brewster is now set to spearhead United’s attack as they look to end a run of four straight defeats at the beginning of the campaign. If Burke and McGoldrick are both ruled-out, either Oli McBurnie or Billy Sharp will be asked to help guide the youngster through his first appearance since completing a £23.5m move from Anfield.

Burke, who arrived in South Yorkshire as part of the deal which saw Callum Robinson join West Bromwich Albion earlier this summer, withdrew from Scotland’s games against Israel, Slovakia and the Czech Republic due to an unspecified complaint and has been undergoing treatment at the Steelphalt Academy ahead of the meeting with opponents searching for their first points of the season.

McGoldrick, the only United player to write his name on the scoresheet so far this term, missed the Republic of Ireland’s Nations League tie in Finland after also suffering a knock.

Brewster, aged 20, has been tasked with solving United’s problems in the final third of the pitch, which Wilder believes is largely responsible for their disappointing results of late.

“You have to do well all over, but ultimately it’s about what happens in both boxes,” he said, after also questioning some of the refereeing decisions which have gone against his side of late.

After being granted permission to miss England under-21’s European qualifiers against Andorra and Turkey - his team mate Aaron Ramsdale took part in both of those fixtures - Brewster has spent the past fortnight immersing himself in the tactics and patterns of play which helped United finish ninth in the table last season.

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