Sheffield United: Star player suffers a set-back in his battle for fitness

Having been withdrawn due to a problem sustained during the warm-up ahead of their visit to Hull City last month, Berge will be absent for the sixth match in a row when United face Stoke City at Bramall Lane tomorrow afternoon.

Revealing Rhys Norrington-Davies is also scheduled to sit out the clash with Michael O’Neill’s side, where he enjoyed a spell on loan last season, United manager Slavisa Jokanovic said: “Sander won’t be available. He needs more time. He stopped and started and then stopped again. It will be around 10 days out I think. He won’t be available for the next game.”

If Jokanovic’s prediction is correct, that means Berge could be available for Blackpool’s trip to South Yorkshire on October 30 - also missing Tuesday’s clash with Millwall and next weekend’s derby against Barnsley.

Although Luke Freeman is also still receiving treatment, there is a slim possibility George Baldock will be cleared to face City after limping out of United’s trip to AFC Bournemouth before the international break. Oliver Burke and David McGoldrick also have a chance of taking part, with Jokanovic saying their fellow centre-forward Lys Mousset suffered no ill-effects from his substitute appearance at the Vitality Stadium. The Frenchman was making his first outing since the opening weekend of the season.

“We have to check Baldock, still,” Jokanovic said. “Rhys and Freezy, they aren’t working with us. All of the strikers are fully fit. They are ready for selection.”