Sheffield United: Blades youngster wins red card appeal
Zak Brunt still has at least eight games left to play before his scheduled return to Sheffield United after the red card he received during Southend’s FA Cup tie against Chesterfield was overturned.
Brunt, who together with his United colleague Kacper Lopata joined Kevin Maher’s side on loan last month, was controversially sent-off during Saturday’s FA Cup defeat by National League rivals Chesterfield.
Officials at Roots Hall later obtained footage they believed proved Brunt’s innocence and lodged an appeal against the decision earlier this week - with a disciplinary panel announcing this afternoon they agreed with that opinion.
Had the referee’s decision been upheld, the teenager would have missed upcoming matches against Woking, Grimsby Town and Maidenhead.
Maher’s team are set to contest a number of other high-profile fixtures before United decide whether to allow Brunt to remain at Roots Hall, place him elsewhere or summon him back to Bramall Lane to compete for a first team place under Slavisa Jokanovic.
Lopata’s temporary agreement with the Essex club also runs until January.
After entertaining Maidenhead on November 23rd, Southend return to action with a visit to Altrincham before hosting Yeovil Town and Barnet. Sandwiched in between those final two outings are trips to Notts County and Bromley - who both qualified for the NL play-offs last term.
Like Lopata, who has been called up by Poland under-20’s for their forthcoming friendly in Romania, Brunt started United’s Carabao Cup ties against Carlisle and Derby County earlier this term.
But the 19-year-old was omitted from the squad which lost to Southampton on penalties at the third round stage.
