Sheffield United: This is the team to beat Barnsley

The 44-year-old played for today’s visitors. He coached them too, winning promotion via the play-offs and also the EFL Trophy.

But the reason Poya Asbaghi can probably name the United team set to face his men today isn’t due to Heckingbottom’s Oakwell connections. It’s due to the fact it pretty much picks itself with 11 outfield players possibly unavailable for selection.

Still, there are one or two calls for Heckingbottom to make. So James Shield, The Star’s United writer, names the eleven he would pick and also his substitutes.

James’ Starting Eleven: Foderingham, Norrington-Davies, Osborn, B Davies, Egan, Robinson, Norwood, Hourihane, Berge, Gibbs-White, Sharp.

James’ Substitutes: A Davies, Ndiaye, Lopata, Jebbison, Gordon, Arblaster, McBurnie.

James’ Thinking: It’s difficult to predict when some of those players who haven’t already been ruled out for the season might return to action. That’s because, by Heckingbottom’s own admission, United’s coaching staff haven’t always been entirely truthful when discussing their situations.

Journalists have asked repeatedly when the likes of Chris Basham, George Baldock, Enda Stevens and Ben Davies might return. Heckingbottom has answered. Albeit, he recently confessed, in deliberately opaque terms so as not to encourage their nearest rivals.

Still, there are some clues as to who might be available for this match and who definitely won’t be.

So the eleven I’ve selected contains the name of at least one squad member - Davies - who could possibly be available. And there’s another, Oli McBurnie, on the bench too while Conor Hourihane, previously of Barnsley, replaces Iliman Ndiaye in midfield.

Experience is going to be vital at this stage of the season. Particularly as United, ninth in the table but only a point behind sixth-placed Queens Park Rangers, are involved in one of the tightest races for play-off qualification in years.

Will Osula, the highly rated centre-forward who made his debut against Blackpool on Wednesday night, misses out purely because United need defensive cover on the bench. So if Davies, Ben Davies that is, does receive the all-clear to start then Kyron Gordon takes his fellow teenager’s place. Kacper Lopata also plays at the back but brings a different dynamic.

MORE: https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-united/sheffield-united-what-the-boss-really-meant-when-he-talked-about-young-players-3617188