“There’ll be consequences” - Chris Wilder lays down Sheffield United standards marker as Michael Cooper return edges closer
Chris Wilder says Michael Cooper is on track to return for pre-season and back to his best, but has warned Sheffield United’s squad they will face “consequences” if they fail to meet fitness targets this summer.
Michael Cooper has been backed to return to the type of form that makes him “arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the division” for Sheffield United next season as he, and the rest of the Blades’ injured players, gear up for a key pre-pre-season period. The United No.1’s season was prematurely curtailed by a knee issue at the back end of February.
Although the problem didn’t require surgery to correct, it did mean that Cooper would play no further part in this campaign and would instead be pencilled-in for a return in pre-season. There was a recent rumour that he had suffered a setback and would be out for a year, which turned out to be false.
Cooper is joined in the treatment room currently by Sam McCallum and Tyrese Campbell, who were also ruled out for the rest of his campaign with ankle and knee issues respectively. The hope is that with a big summer those three, plus the returning Jamie Shackleton, can be fit and firing going into the 2026/27 campaign.
“There’ll be consequences” - Chris Wilder lays down Sheffield United standards marker as Michael Cooper return edges closer
“He’s good,” boss Chris Wilder said of Cooper and his recovery ahead of tomorrow’s Bramall Lane clash with Blackburn Rovers. “He’ll be back for pre-season. Sam McCallum was out on the pitch today, and back for the start of pre-season.
“They’ll put in work in a pre-pre-season as well. That’s for Tyrese, Michael and Sam and topping up sessions for Jamie Shackleton, who's not played a lot of football for us. There's work going into those players even before they come back for the first day of pre-season.
“So it's good that Michael will have time to get his game back in order, and be arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the division.”
Wilder has long since earmarked pre-season as a key period as he looks to restore United’s identity ahead of next term. Preparations for the new campaign have changed a lot over the years, with players frequently seen undergoing sessions while away on holiday to ensure they report back to Shirecliffe ready to go.
“Especially with the injured ones, because they've missed out,” Wilder added. “So they need to hit the ground running. There's a few of those guys there but we've always given plans and we've always given routines, and targets that they need to hit.
“But more so than ever now and they will be checking in through the summer as well. The season ends on the second of May and they’re coming back on the 24th or 25th of June. So they’ve got less than eight weeks.
“It's a lot of time so we need to double down on them, making sure that the players check in. They will do remotely and they will do by coming to the training ground through that period. They’ll be monitored and there'll be consequences if they're not in the place we need them to be physically.”