Ben Mee, Michael Cooper situations clarified after recent Sheffield United fitness concerns ahead of Sheffield Wednesday derby clash
Double Sheffield United injury concerns clarified ahead of crucial Sheffield Wednesday derby clash
Chris Wilder is confident that veteran defender Ben Mee will recover in time for Sheffield United’s derby clash with rivals Wednesday after the current international break, after making way at half-time of Saturday’s goalless draw with QPR. The former Brentford and Burnley man has been a key part of Wilder’s United plans of late.
Despite being in the twilight of his impressive career, at 36, his fitness record so far at Bramall Lane has been impressive, especially given the frequency of matches in the Blades’ recent period. But there were groans of concern from supporters on Saturday when Mee hobbled away from one full-blooded tackle on the south stand touchline.
He subsequently did not reappear for the second half, replaced by Mark McGuinness and sparking some concern that he may miss out against the Owls later this month. But Wilder has no such obvious concerns.
“He was hobbling around,” Wilder admitted. “He went for a tackle and just got a bang on his ankle, but he'll be fine. He's been great for us, so he'll be fine. He'll recover. The beauty is that we've obviously got two weeks to work on him.”
United’s options for the trip to Hillsborough are expected to be further boosted by the return of Gus Hamer from a recent knee ligament injury, while fellow midfielders Tahith Chong and Oliver Arblaster may also be fit after their respective knee problems.
Michael Cooper will also be ready for the Wednesday game, Wilder promised, after retaining his place between the posts despite not being “100 per cent” fit following a back issue that forced him off in defeat at Coventry last Tuesday evening.
“There were a couple of bumps and bruises from [QPR] but we’ve obviously got two weeks now before our next game and in that period we'll have Chong back and we'll have Gus back. So when you're talking about getting into those positions and finding that quality, we've got two players there that definitely tick that box.
“Michael was okay. He put his hand up to play. I don't think he was 100 per cent, but the two weeks will do him a world of good and he'll be ready.”