Rhian Brewster hits Sheffield United fitness milestone with fellow striker “not far away”

Paul Heckingbottom admits he has “minimal expectations” about Rhian Brewster’s long-awaited comeback from injury after the Sheffield United striker began training with his teammates again. The former Liverpool man has not played since last October after suffering a hamstring injury away at West Brom, but was seen stepping up his recovery and working hard with coaching staff out in Portugal on United’s pre-season tour.

United’s record signing has played just 33 times across the last two seasons after being struck down by badly-timed injuries, and the Blades’ medical staff are carefully managing his recovery to ensure he is in the best possible shape when he makes his return to Heckingbottom’s first-team squad.

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“With Rhian it’s about easing him in,” the Blades boss told Radio Sheffield. “Everyone’s happy with where he is now. He trained with us today, a different kind of session, so he didn’t do the running. He’s got his own programme, to get up to speed as quick as possible.

“In terms of training and football content he did everything with us and had a big smile on his face. From me, expectations are minimal on Rhian. I want his impact and for him to be about and be lively and score goals. I want all that. But it’s going to be when he’s ready to do it.”

Oli McBurnie, Brewster’s fellow striker, is closer to full fitness after Heckingbottom admitted he “feared the worst” when the Scottish international went down during the Blades’ pre-season camp at the Cidade du Futebol in Lisbon. McBurnie wore a protective boot on his foot after suffering the issue and Heckingbottom said: “Hopefully we’ll get Oli running again this week and training next week before Palace [on the opening day of the season].

“If it’s too soon, it’s too soon. But with the way he went down, if I’m honest, it’s the best result we could have had. We did fear the worst and if he misses Palace, then he misses Palace. But he’s not too far away.”