Like most if not all managers at the moment, Paul Heckingbottom is juggling players carrying knocks and niggles through a ferocious fixture schedule – but the Sheffield United manager says the one thing he will not risk is victories.

The Blades are at Coventry City this afternoon looking to cement fifth place in an ever-changing Championship table.

Heckingbottom is aware with so many play-off contenders due to play one another between now and the end of the season his side cannot over-react when points are dropped but he still wants to see them go out for all three every time they take to the field. If that means pushing a player who has a minor issue or is coming back from injury, so be it.

He showed as much on Tuesday by asking Ben Osborn to play 86 minutes in the physically-demanding position of wing-back on his first Championship start since November 6.

Sheffield United midfielder Conor Hourihane is being 'managed' Picture: Simon Bellis/Sportimage

“You’ve got to win the game,” says Heckingbottom bluntly. “We were very conscious of Ozzy in the last game but we’ve got to win the game. We may have the same sort of issue when George (Baldock) comes back.”

John Fleck came off quickly with a groin injury in the impressive 4-1 win over Middlesbrough and will be missing today, whilst Heckingbottom acknowledged last week that fellow midfielder Conor Hourihane was being “managed”.

“Conor’s not missed a training session, not a minute, because he’s managing himself,” he explains. “That’s great when you’ve got personalities like that because they always make themselves available.

“If he’d taken a backward step and taken himself out of the firing line he wouldn’t have been on the pitch but he puts himself forward for the game.

Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom - pictured on the touchline during Tuesday's 4-1 win over Middlesbrough at Bramall Lane. Picture: Andrew Yates/Sportimage

“It’s really important that’s acknowledged. He doesn’t like missing minutes.

“They’re all desperate to play. If I was with a player and he wasn’t, he’s probably not the player for me.

“But if you do pull them and explain – sometimes it’s a gut feeling, sometimes it’s just a game, sometime’s it’s lack of form or someone’s doing better – but I like to tell them. That’s my job. They might one day want to do it.”

Heckingbottom’s scope to rest players is much reduced anyway at the moment because of injuries. He has no specialist right-sided centre-back again because Charlie Goode picked up a knee cartilage problem in training whilst suspended and Chris Basham’s knee problem is worse than the club originally let on, likely to keep him out until the international break.

Coventry City v Sheffield United: No rest as Blades go full-on in bid to be a contender