Sheffield United: New season preparations move up a gear

After granting the international players within his squad an extended break, manager Paul Heckingbottom revealed he was so “short of bodies” during last week’s sessions that Bramall Lane’s under-23’s programme was raided to “help boost the numbers.”

But with those involved in the latest round of Nations League fixtures and AFCON qualifiers now drifting back to the Randox Health Academy, United’s coaching staff can begin planning for the forthcoming campaign in earnest.

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Insisting he had no choice but to stagger the first team’s schedules, Heckingbottom said: “Because of how all the fixtures panned-out, some of our lads needed a rest. Not only physically but also mentally, and I think that’s important.

“When the first few came back, we moved some of the under-23’s up with us to get our numbers up. But they’re coming back in now and we’ll have everyone back by the time we get out to Portugal.”

United travel to the continent early next week, finishing their stay at a complex near Lisbon with a friendly against newly promoted Casa Pia. They will then take part in a series of games against domestic opposition before facing Watford on Monday 1 August.

Despite struggling to fulfil his wish for a series of quick breakthroughs in the transfer market, Heckingbottom blames the situation on the world footballing calendar rather than United’s slow progress in terms of recruitment.

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Rhys Norrington-Davies, Iliman Ndiaye, George Baldock and John Egan were among those called-up by their respective countries following last month’s defeat by Nottingham Forest in the Championship play-off semi-finals. All four, as well as Sander Berge, Enda Stevens and potentially Daniel Jebbison, currently on duty with England at the UEFA under-19 Championships, are expected to report for duty in the Portuguese capital.

“That’s when we’ll really be able to start tackling things, about how we want to go about it and doing the proper work,” Heckingbottom said. “Well, ‘proper’ in terms of how other people would see it. All of it, everything we do, is important.”

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