Sheffield United players Jack Robinson and Jayden Bogle have been struggling with injuries ahead of their game against Burnley tomorrow.
Manager Chris Wilder announced his frustrations when discussing the status of his players in a pre-match press conference yesterday afternoon.
He said: “They’re struggling for the weekend so that’s a blow for us.”
Robinson is facing ongoing soft tissue damage in his ankle from their game against Chelsea, whilst Bogle left their last game against Brentford in a boot, for a similar ligament injury.
Wilder said: “We gain one and we lose one so that’s been a difficult situation to deal with. It’s two influential players in the group, Jack from a leadership point of view and Jayden as one of our most outstanding players. It’s disappointing.
“We are frustrated, but the most frustrating aspect is when we lose players to soft-tissue injuries and when we lose players in training. Those are the things that really do hurt and it’s something we have to get over for next year.”
To cut back on injuries throughout upcoming fixtures and into next year’s season, the club has launched an independent audit to review their many injuries. The programme aims to “build a more robust and durable squad that gets coached on a regular basis”.
Wilder said he’s pleased that Daniel Jebbison, Rhian Brewster, and Tom Davies all returned to training this week, upon mentioning that the entire team would benefit from more regular training sessions.
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He said that in their 2019-20 Premier League season, “availability for training and playing was at 90%”.
“We are nowhere near that this season and that will go a long way for us to have a successful season – whatever division we are in next year,” he added.
After a strong last season finishing second in the Championship, United are now struggling in the Premier League. However, Wilder is still hopeful the Blades will beat close competitor Burnley FC this weekend.
He said: “We want to take it down to the wire and understand the importance of every game” in United’s battle to avoid relegation.
With Burnley being four points ahead of United, Wilder mentioned they had a “more settled pre-season than we had, but like us, found it difficult and found results difficult to come by.”
Although Sheffield United remain in 20th place at the very bottom of the league, they have currently played one less game than Burnley, making the three point win vital.
Wilder reiterated the club will still be fighting to come out on top. He said: “We are in it to win and so will they be.”
"We're in it to win it and so will they be." ⚔️
Chris Wilder looks head to the Blades next game, Burnley at the Lane! 🏟️#SHUBUR || @premierleague
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) April 18, 2024