The difficulty facing Sheffield United ahead of Coventry City clash amid Frank Lampard manager negotiations

Sheffield United’s preparations for this weekend’s Championship resumption at Coventry City have already been disrupted by injuries and international call-ups. The Blades are sweating on the fitness of Kieffer Moore after the striker missed the Sheffield derby win over Wednesday last time out, while Oliver Arblaster made way at half-time in that 1-0 win.

United’s international contingent has been shrunken over this window but there were some notable absentees at Shirecliffe this week, including Harry Souttar as he prepares to return from his latest gruelling jaunt around the world on duty with Australia. But the Blades’ preparations to face the Sky Blues will hardly have been helped by the fact that, as things stand, they do not know who will be in the home dugout come kick-off.

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Coventry sacked long-serving boss Mark Robins before the break and are yet to confirm a permanent successor, with caretaker manager Rhys Carr currently slated to face the media tomorrow [Friday] ahead of the clash with joint-top United. Frank Lampard, the former Derby and Chelsea boss, has been reportedly in advanced talks to take over but time is running out ahead of the 12.30pm kick-off on Saturday.

Coventry have played once under Carr’s temporary guidance, a creditable 2-2 draw away at joint-leaders Sunderland after being 2-0 down, and that will at least offer some insight into how the Sky Blues may approach the Blades test for United’s analysts. But any 11th-hour appointment could throw a spanner in the works in terms of the preparation time Chris Wilder and his coaching staff will have in the lead-up to the game.

City are looking for a head coach rather than a manager, with owner Doug King telling CoventryLive recently: “We want someone who is an elite head coach on the grass with tactics, with the ability to motivate and focus on the players and getting the maximum out of the players. What we put around the club is a great support network to put the players in the best condition and get them available as much as possible,” he told CoventryLive.

“We work with the players quite a bit to increase longevity of their careers through choices now, as they handle their bodies. Some players can play to 34/35 if they handle their bodies well now, so we are trying to look after our players in every way. And what we want from our head coach is for them to focus on the football, on the tactics and developing our players to become the best that they can be. And I don’t need them to be in any other aspect (of the club).

“Yes, I need them in recruitment, of course I do. Of course a head coach has to sign off new players because he won’t pick them otherwise, so it’s ridiculous to think that they wouldn’t be involved in that. Dean Austin [head of recruitment] and myself will work closely with the head coach to try and fill the gaps that come up in the next window to ensure that we get what’s required to either provide cover or sparkle, whatever he thinks is the right thing to do.”

Alongside Lampard, who tasted defeat at Bramall Lane as a manager with both the Rams and Chelsea, Ruud van Nistelrooy, the former Manchester United striker and coach, has also been linked with the job while Lee Carsley, who had a short spell as United’s assistant manager under David Weir a decade ago, has also been mentioned as a possible successor to Robins after his stint as England’s caretaker boss came to an end over this break.