Sheffield Utd vs Man Utd injury & team news latest with an incredible nine doubts & 14 unavailable

There are question marks surrounding the availability of an incredible 23 players heading into this weekend’s Premier League clash between Sheffield United and Manchester United.

The Red Devils travel to Bramall Lane on Saturday night, two weeks after Scott McTominay’s heroics rescued three points in injury-time against Brentford. Erik ten Hag will be hoping for another three points to revive what has been a dreadful start to the campaign, and he’ll also be hopeful that several of his injured players will be back in time for the clash.

The United manager has been without the injured Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia for several weeks, and neither of the quartet are expected to be back in time for the trip to Yorkshire. Nor is Jadon Sancho, who remains frozen out by Ten Hag until he apologises for his public criticism of the manager.

United also confirmed on Thursday that Casemiro is out for Saturday's game as he has picked up a 'small issue' while in Brazil, and has remained in his homeland for a few extra days. The club added that Raphael Varane, Jonny Evans, Sergio Reguilon and Sofyan Amrabat are back in training following recent injuries, and it's therefore assumed they will be fit for this weekend's encounter.

Kobbie Mainoo wasn't mentioned in Thursday's update. The youngster is close to a return from a problem sustained in pre-season and has been back in training for several weeks, but he missed the friendly win over Barnsley last week as the match was deemed to have come too quickly in his recuperation schedule. Amad is another player who could be an option. He’s missed the entire season so far with a knee problem and it’s unclear where he is in his recovery. 

Elsewhere, third-choice goalkeeper Tom Heaton hasn’t been involved in the last three matchday squads, including against Galatasaray when Radek Vitek was named on the bench. Regardless, Heaton is unlikely to travel to Bramall Lane at the weekend given Altay Bayindir will most probably be on the bench.

As for the opposition, Paul Heckingbottom will be without Chris Basham after he suffered a horrendous fracture in the defeat to Fulham two weeks ago. The defender won’t play again this season, while recent reports have suggested the same could be true of centre-back partner John Egan.

Tom Davies also revealed this week that he has suffered from a muscular injury and is expected to be out for several months. The former Everton man joins Jordan Amissah, Max Lowe, Rhys Norrington-Davies and Ismaila Coulibaly as long-term absentees, while Daniel Jebbison has been out for the entire season through a mixture of illness and injury.

But Sheffield United will hope John Fleck and Rhian Brewster are options after both played for the Under-21s last week, although Fleck was sent off in the draw against Reading. George Baldock, Ben Osborn, Will Osula could be in line for returns after recent absences.

Adam Davies is the only other doubt for the game after the goalkeeper was sent home from the Wales camp over the break due to injury. If the stopper is unavailable, and with fellow keeper Amissah out, the Blades would be forced to register fourth-choice Marcus Dewhurst as an emergency goalkeeper, although this would only be as an option on the bench.

Doubts: Davies, Baldock, Fleck, Osborn, Osula, Brewster (Sheffield United). Heaton, Mainoo, Amad (Manchester United). Unavailable: Amissah, Basham, Egan, Norrington-Davies, Lowe, Davies, Coulibaly, Jebbison (Sheffield United). Wan-Bissaka, Martinez, Shaw, Malacia, Casemiro, Sancho (Manchester United).