Sheffield United make transfer decision on promising midfielder as Chris Wilder explains his reasoning

Sheffield United have recalled academy product Oliver Arblaster from his loan spell at Port Vale, to integrate the midfielder into their first-team squad. The England U20 international has impressed at Vale Park in the first half of the season but will return to Bramall Lane in the new year.

Arblaster is currently undergoing treatment at Shirecliffe after a nasty knee injury he sustained in Vale's League Cup defeat at home to Middlesbrough earlier this month, and is expected to miss between four and six weeks as he recovers. Still only 19, Arblaster will not take up a place in United's 25-man squad and could prove a useful option for Wilder in the second half of the Premier League season.

Wilder and coach Jack Lester were watching from the stands as Arblaster picked up the injury at Boro. "From where we were sat, it looked a lot more serious than it is," Wilder said. "So we're delighted with that, but he's going to be out for a few weeks. But he can do other bits and pieces in and around the group as well, so we're delighted to see him back."

Wilder has been a long-time admirer of Arblaster, a Sheffield-born product of their famous youth academy who once celebrated a goal as a ballboy with scorer, and future teammate, Billy Sharp in front of the Kop. United officials subsequently informing their counterparts at Vale of their intention to exercise the break option in his loan spell, with Arblaster officially eligible to represent United in early January.

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"He'll be coming back. That's a decision we've made," Wilder confirmed. "Port Vale know and understand that. I think he comes back on the second of January but he's going to be out for four to six weeks, so we'll see him maybe at the end of January. I've watched him, he's a local boy. He loves the football club, we love that. Supporters love that.

"Not that that's the be all and end all, there's other boys who have not supported Sheffield United but give their everything for the football club. He's ticked the box of playing in League One. We could put him out into the Championship, I suppose, so this was a decision we made. We feel he's better with us. There were decisions with Iliman [Ndiaye] regarding that, decisions with David Brooks at the time. We could have put him out but we wanted him in the group and learning in terms of our demands as a coaching staff and as a manager.

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"Getting used to that, and still pushing to get in. He's a confident boy, he's technically very good. He sees a pass and has great ability. He's dominating when he goes and play internationally, which is a really good attribute and really good for him and his confidence levels. And we feel that he'll be better in with us for the remaining four months of the season."

In all Arblaster made 26 appearances for Andy Crosby's side and became a firm fans' favourite during his time at the League One club.