Sheffield United: Manchester City's James McAtee will be monitored ahead of Burnley after horror challenge
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Having been introduced as a substitute earlier in the game, as part of a tactical reshuffle instigated by Paul Heckingbottom, McAtee was the victim of a terrible tackle by the City full-back during the closing stages of the game.
Having been sent spiralling through the air, United’s physiotherapists administered treatment to McAtee’s knee before the youngster was deemed fit enough to continue. But Heckingbottom later acknowledged that was the least of his worries; such was the force of Tanner’s lunge which even City’s Nigel Pearson admitted warranted a red card.
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Hide Ad“James banged his head and his knee,” said Heckingbottom. “He really got caught. We’ll take a look at him, as you’d expect, over the next few days and fingers crossed with him.”
Although McAtee showed no ill effects following the final whistle, celebrating with the rest of United’s squad in front of the travelling support after Iliman Ndiaye’s eighth goal of the season had propelled them to victory, the Manchester City youngster is now expected to be kept under constant supervision at the Randox Health Academy ahead of the meeting with Vincent Kompany’s side.
United finished the match at Ashton Gate in third, having maintained the momentum they began to gather after beating West Bromwich Albion 72 hours earlier.
McAtee was introduced midway through the first-half when a clearly upset Reda Khadra was withdrawn as part of what Heckingbottom insisted was a tactical reshuffle. Pearson, suggesting the German is “high maintenance” and hadn’t wanted to “run” around, clearly thought otherwise despite confessing he tried to sign him earlier this summer. Khadra is scheduled to spend the rest of the season at Bramall Lane after leaving Brighton and Hove Albion on a temporary basis. But even though Heckingbottom leapt to the player’s defence during his post-match interviews, the 21-year-old’s future in South Yorkshire must now be in serious doubt as he struggles to make an impression at United.