Tim Ream's Chris Basham class highlighted ahead of Fulham's Sheffield United trip amid Tom Lockyer point

Chris Wilder has admitted that the human kindness and decency showed by Tim Ream towards stricken Sheffield United star Chris Basham at Fulham earlier this season will be appreciated when the American international arrives at Bramall Lane this afternoon. Today's clash is the first meeting between the sides since Basham's sickening injury at Craven Cottage back in October.

The injury saw Basham undergo multiple operations and spend significant time in hospital with the 35-year-old Blades legend admitting he is still unsure whether his playing career will continue. The defender has returned to United's Shirecliffe training ground for some gym work but remains some way off a return to action, with the immediate focus on him getting back to day-to-day activities with his family.

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Thoughts of that sickening blow in October, and the subsequent delay while Basham received on-field treatment, will come back when Marco Silva's men arrive at Bramall Lane - with Ream, the defender who stayed with Basham after he went down until medical attention arrived, surely assured of a warm reception from the home support ahead of kick-off.

"It’s an incredibly competitive sport that we’re playing," said boss Wilder, who compared Ream's compassion to the reception after Luton Town defender Tom Lockyer's cardiac arrest at Bournemouth late last year. “But it takes an incredibly vicious, hostile crowd or team to go against the human nature of what happened to Bash or Tom Lockyer down at Bournemouth.

“The attitude of the Luton fans and the supporters at Bournemouth was an understanding that we’re all after three points but that there are bigger things to consider. There was that same consideration with the pain that Bash was going through at Fulham. I’ve had a couple of dealings with Tim and he’s a real solid guy and I know what their supporters think of him. He won’t be looking for anything but the part Tom and their medical staff will be very appreciated on Saturday."