Sheffield United rocked by "heartbreaking" Oliver Arblaster blow after injury marred Sheffield Wednesday win

Sheffield United's push for an instant return to the Premier League this season has been rocked by a huge injury blow to their skipper, Oliver Arblaster. The 20-year-old made way at half-time of United's derby-day victory over Wednesday just before the international break after damaging his knee.

Arblaster received extensive on-pitch treatment before initially returning to the field but did not reappear after the break. Boss Chris Wilder said after the 1-0 win that he "had to drag the captain's armband off" a "devastated" Arblaster, admitting that it was too soon for a definitive idea of the injury's extent.

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But a scan in the following days revealed knee ligament damage which will keep Arblaster out for the long-term, with real doubt at this stage over whether he will play again this season. He went under the knife for an operation to correct the damage over the international break and will now begin the long recovery process.

The news is an obvious blow for the Blades' promotion hopes but especially so for a young man whose career is still in its infancy and, until recently, had been on a swift and mostly upward trajectory. Arblaster was recalled to Bramall Lane less than a year ago after a successful loan spell at Port Vale, which was prematurely curtailed by a bad injury which then-Vale boss Andy Crosby described as "a really deep gash around his knee, and I think it’s gone right down to the bone."

Blades chief Wilder will be asked about the Arblaster blow in his press conference this afternoon to preview tomorrow's trip to Coventry City, which sees the Blades return to Championship action after the international break. Tom Davies’ imminent return to fitness is now especially timely while 20-year-old Sydie Peck, Arblaster’s fellow academy graduate, impressed off the bench against the Owls.

Arblaster is said to be "heartbroken" over the injury blow but sports science advancements mean that players’ chances of recovering from such knee issues have improved dramatically in recent years. United teammate Callum O'Hare suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament on Boxing Day 2022 - ironically at Bramall Lane in a game against United - and was sidelined for 303 days, describing his time out as the hardest of his life. But he recovered fully and his best years are still ahead of him - as are Arblaster's, however daunting the upcoming months may seem right now.