Sheffield United's push for Europe is on course to receive a major boost as players step-up their preparations for Premier League return
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Barring any positive tests for Covid-19 or injuries sustained during training, manager Chris Wilder believes he will have a full complement of players to select from when United travel to the West Midlands on June 17.
The match, which is scheduled to be the first match staged in the Premier League since the fixture calendar was suspended because of the pandemic in March, could see United move to within two points of the Champions League places with only nine games of the campaign remaining.
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Hide AdEnda Stevens had been nursing a muscle problem when the mass postponements were first announced, and looked set to sit out the trip to Newcastle as a result. But the Republic of Ireland international is now believed to have recovered from the complaint after following an individually tailored rehabilitation programme during lockdown.
As well as being given a series of fitness tests to complete before United were forced to close their training complex, the club’s conditioning and physiotherapy also used teleconferencing facilities installed on the team’s tablets, laptops and mobile phones to track Stevens’ recovery on a twice-daily basis while he isolated at home.
With the Steelphalt Academy reopening for business towards the end of last month - albeit with a number of social distancing and hygiene protocols still in place - Wilder’s side are expected to step-up the intensity of their sessions later this week. It is understood United are also investigating the possibility of arranging at least one practice match with a neighbouring English Football League club before the trip to Villa Park - should government guidelines designed to limit the spread of the respiratory disease allow.
Seventh in the table and having played a match less than all but one of the six sides above them, United will leapfrog both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United if they beat Dean Smith’s men, who were 19th when competition ground to a halt.
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Hide AdAlthough Ben Osborn had proved to be a more than able deputy, Stevens’ availability represents a major boost to United’s hopes of securing a place in either the CL or the Europa League next term.
Wilder, whose charges can also qualify for the latter via the FA Cup, is determined to ensure a defence which has conceded only 25 goals so far this season remains intact during the run-in.
However, the 52-year-old will also be aware that the break in competition has also allowed many of United’s closest rivals to also refresh their options. Tottenham Hotspur, for example, will have Harry Kane and Son Heung-min available following injuries which had been set to rule both out of a number of key contests.
Chelsea, in fourth, have used the enforced break to rest Kane’s England team mate Tammy Abraham. Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford is also closing in on a return to fitness after missing nine games before the country entered lockdown.