Sheffield United: Oli McBurnie absence explained as boss rates “best in league” star’s chances of facing Blackpool

Oli McBurnie has every chance of returning to the Sheffield United squad to face Blackpool on Thursday evening, boss Paul Heckingbottom has admitted, after explaining why the Scottish international missed the victory over Coventry City on Boxing Day.

McBurnie, United’s joint-leading scorer this season along with Iliman Ndiaye, was a notable absentee from the teamsheet against Mark Robins’ Sky Blues as United ran out 3-1 winners, to go eight points clear of third-placed Blackburn Rovers.

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McBurnie’s absence was officially explained as “a slight aggravation of his ankle injury” that he picked up before the World Cup break and explaining the decision to leave him out of the matchday squad, boss Heckingbottom said: “It's just sore. He'll put himself forward, no problem, but I want him back to the levels where people were talking about him as the best striker in the league.

“His numbers were great, his goals and expected goals and all that. But we're not going to get him back to that if he's just having cameos. It's important to get him back fit and able to perform to those levels which everyone was talking about. He's got every chance for Thursday.”

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After ending his long wait for a league goal earlier this season at Luton Town, McBurnie has shown the form that made him one of the most feared forwards in the second tier before the Championship paused for the World Cup break midway through last month.

That break allowed McBurnie to undergo surgery on a hernia issue that had been troubling him for some time, but he has been limited to only two short cameos off the bench since.

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In his absence, club skipper Billy Sharp has stepped up to score twice while Ndiaye has continued his imperious form, troubling City’s defence all afternoon and setting up James McAtee’s opening goal with a superb run and inch-perfect pass.

United will have to reshuffle their pack at Bloomfield Road on Thursday with John Egan suspended, after being sent off against Coventry. The Republic of Ireland international saw red after picking up two bookings for fouling Viktor Gyökeres, incurring a one-match suspension as a result.