Sheffield United: Starting World Cup star Iliman Ndiaye against Huddersfield Town would be a calculated risk

The youngster, one of the breakthrough stars of this winter’s World Cup, could enter the match in the form of his life following a series of impressive performances for Senegal in Qatar. In case anyone needed reminding, he is also responsible for scoring a quarter of United’s goals in league competition since August.

But before finalising his selection picks for the clash with opponents who travel to Bramall Lane at the foot of the table, Heckingbottom has some potentially season-defining calls to make. Does he risk pitching Ndiaye straight back into action after his jaunt to the Middle East? Or should United gamble by wrapping their most valuable asset in cotton wool and give him extra time to recover before unleashing him on Wigan Athletic a week on Monday?

“Illy’s been back training with us,” Heckingbottom confirmed during his latest conversation with journalists. “He wanted to come straight back in on Tuesday but we told him ‘no’ and that Thursday would be best.”

The logistics of Ndiaye’s return to England remain shrouded in mystery, with members of the Senegalese delegation telling the media that Aliou Cisse’s players flew back to Dakar, en masse, 48 hours after their defeat by England in the round of 16. With no direct flights scheduled between the African nation and the UK, and the journey from Doha estimated to take somewhere around 12 hours, it should have been impossible for the 22-year-old to arrive back in this country in time for the second of four workouts United’s squad were set to complete before facing their Yorkshire rivals. Unless he either took a private transfer or the SFF’s spokesperson was mistaken. Either way, it is a gruelling trip. The kind which, given the increased “explosiveness” of the modern game Heckingbottom frequently refers to when discussing United’s lengthy casualty list, could leave him vulnerable to muscle strains if he faces Town.

Heckingbottom, who isn’t averse to spreading disinformation when it comes to tactics and available personnel, will factor a number of different scenarios into his thinking before deciding upon Ndiaye’s involvement. The first, with the likes of Sander Berge, John Fleck, Max Lowe and Tommy Doyle all still doubts, is whether medical staff believe Ndiaye is refreshed enough to compete. Given his importance to the cause, second placed United can ill afford to be missing one of their most influential performers as they attempt to claw back the three point gap separating them from leaders Burnley. But the prospect of losing him for a prolonged period will send a shiver down the spines of Heckingbottom and his assistants Stuart McCall and Jack Lester. One suspects, if Ndiaye does start this fixture, then United will be taking a calculated risk.

After seeing his recovery from hernia surgery complicated by an ankle issue, Oli McBurnie’s involvement against Town is also in question. Like Ndiaye, he has also netted nine times this season. If both are absent, then United will be entering the contest without two men who have claimed more than 50 percent of 35 efforts they have converted over the past four-and-a-bit months. Even though Fotheringham’s men are bottom of the table, that would be some handicap.

“He’s just focused on us now,” Heckingbottom said, admitting Ndiaye hasn’t yet grasped the magnitude of his recent achievements. “He’ll be humble about it because Iliman looks forward rather than back. He still wants to play at as high a level as he can and he knows he’s got to work hard to do that.”

“He asked to come in on Tuesday,” Heckingbottom added. “They only flew in on the Monday and he asked to come in on the Tuesday but we said ‘no’, that he should come in on Thursday.”

Ndiaye made three appearances at the tournament in Qatar, helping Cisse’s squad qualify from Group A following wins over the host nation and Ecuador before Sunday’s loss to England. After a lively cameo against the Qataris, he started the meeting with the South Americans and the Three Lions, who now face France in the quarter-finals. Cisse withdrew Ndiaye during the interval of the last 16 tie, with Heckingbottom confessing: “I’m the only one who has given him any stick, I think. But from my point of view, it couldn’t have gone any better: England 2-0 up, Iliman off at half time fit and well and ready for us.”

While United hope to pick up where they left off before the pause in the domestic programme - winning four of their final five outings before the shutdown - Town hope it will prove a turning point in their campaign. Appointed in September, Fotherham took his players away to Marbella for a warm-weather camp in Marbella recently, with particular attention being placed upon the attacking aspect of the game. The Scot is confident that work will bear fruit against United, who, despite seemingly not being set to welcome back any of the players who missed the win over Cardiff City through injury, still have a wealth of talent at their disposal.

“Iliman is tough enough, robust enough and strong enough to play in this league,” said Heckingbottom, previously United’s development coach. “We always trained very hard in the under-23’s, and he was part of that group, because we wanted to make sure that was the case.”