Chris Wilder reveals Oliver Arblaster injury extent after Sheffield United skipper misses Derby County win

Sheffield United’s tough week with injuries continued this week when Oliver Arblaster went down with an ankle issue on the eve of this afternoon’s game against Derby County. The Blades had already been rocked when Sai Sachdev suffered a broken leg on U21 duty against Wolves, with Arblaster then being ruled out of the clash with the Rams.

That gave Sydie Peck the chance to shine on his full league debut and the teenager took it with a composed display in Arblaster’s absence, with Gus Hamer’s stunning free-kick giving United their third successive win without conceding a goal. It was another impressive display of attitude and ability for the Blades but was tempered somewhat by Arblaster’s absence, with the 20-year-old spotted in a protective boot over his right foot.

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“It's been a tough week with Sai's injury and the impact on that, and that was another thing to add to it,” Wilder said on the Arblaster blow. “It was really innocuous, nobody was near him and the ball was over his head, He's backpedalled and all of a sudden he's on the floor and not in a great place at that particular moment. So we knew straightaway.

“He's not a squealer, he's just gone down and turned his ankle over. So we've had it scanned and fingers crossed he gets through the next three or four days. He's a tough boy, and it was a big blow but I thought Sydie coming in was fantastic as well. I'm not going to give anything out but he's a tough boy and we'll try and get him back as soon as possible. We've got to get the swelling down and let it calm down in the next two or three days.”