Sheffield United sweat on the fitness of two key players ahead of key Premier League encounter at West Bromwich Albion

With fellow defender Jack O’Connell recovering from knee surgery, Stevens had been deployed as a makeshift centre-half before suffering an injury towards the end of United’s defeat by Chelsea earlier this month as Wilder attempted to avoid sacrificing his preferred 3-5-2 system.

A wing-back by trade, Stevens was forced to sit out last weekend’s meeting with West Ham - a match which saw United slip to their eighth defeat in nine outings so far this term.

Although Wilder confirmed the absence of several key figures has contributed to a run of form which sees his team travel to the Midlands at the foot of the table after finishing ninth last season, he refuted suggestions that something has gone systemically wrong at the Steelphalt Academy ahead of tomorrow’s fixture.

Refusing to divulge the identity of the player who has joined Stevens on the treatment table, Wilder said: “There’s an issue with Enda and we’ve got one other, that I won’t publicise, who is touch and go. These aren’t soft tissue injuries. This isn’t through bad practice or over use, or being carefree with players welfare. Enda’s was a block tackle trying to keep the ball out of the net at Chelsea. These aren’t contact injuries.”

United have also been without midfielder John Fleck in recent weeks, although the Scotland international returned to action against West Ham. Together with striker Lys Mousset, who has yet to feature since July, Fleck is expected to face opponents also searching for their first league victory of the new campaign.

“We’ll look at Enda over the next 48 hours and the other one as well,” Wilder said. “We need a full fit and healthy squad to hit the standards we can produce. We still believe in what we can do and the work we are doing.”

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