Sheffield United: Young duo, including Poland star, praised for their excellent attitudes

Kacper Lopata and Zak Brunt completed moves to Southend last month, after being recommended to manager Kevin Maher by former academy coach Darren Currie who is now part of the 45-year-old’s staff at Roots Hall.

Brunt and Lopata are expected to make their latest appearances for the non-league club against Woking this weekend, with the latter arranging his own flight back from Romania in order to be available for selection after being named in Poland’s under-20 squad for a match in Bucharest.

And that has impressed Maher, who can also name Brunt in his starting eleven following the midfielder’s successful appeal against the red card he received during an FA Cup tie with Chesterfield.

“Kacper will be back tomorrow,” Maher said last night, “And we will assess him. If he doesn’t make it he doesn’t make it. But he was very keen and the attitude of the two lads has been brilliant.

“Kacper was very keen to be back in time and make himself available.”

Lopata, aged 20, made his senior debut for United during a Carabao Cup tie against Carlisle earlier this season before also facing Derby County in the second round.

Brunt, a year younger than the centre-half, also took part in both of those games. He was dismissed towards the end of Southend’s defeat at the Technique Stadium following an off the ball altercation.

However, that decision was later overturned when Southend provided video evidence proving his innocence.

“I was very pleased with that,” Maher told The Echo newspaper. “We spoke after the game when I’d seen the footage and I was hopeful with what I’d seen but you never know.

“I’m really pleased to have him back and hopefully he can perform as well as we know he can.”

Slavisa Jokanovic will review Brunt and Lopata’s progress in Essex before their agreements expire in January. United will then decide whether or not to recall one or both of them, place them with an EFL team or allow them to remain with Maher’s team.