Sheffield United suffer another John Fleck injury setback but World Cup break has largely been positive for injury list

The pause for the World Cup has allowed a number of Blades players to recover from early-season injury but it has worked against Fleck, who picked up a knock in training at the start of the World Cup break having had his injury problems in 2022-23.

The Scottish midfielder recovered quickly after breaking his leg in August, but went off with a knock in the penultimate match of part of one of the campaign – a derby defeat at home to Rotherham United – and is still having difficulties.

"Flecky took contact in that (Rotherham) game," explained manager Paul Heckingbottom. "We've had the scan and the bone's fine, healing, but there's a lot of fluid around it from the contact.

"He took another bang when he trained and you could see him hobbling. He tried to carry on but clearly we had to tell him to go in.

"It's almost as if we just have to bide our time with that one. When the fluid and soreness goes, he can train again."

Jayden Bogle, Max Lowe, Sander Berge, Tommy Doyle and Anel Ahmedhodzic are back in training after missing the previous game at Cardiff City on November 12. So is Jack Robinson, who went off injured in south Wales.

Oli McBurnie is was back in training after a hernia operation on Thursday but will need more time to get up to Championship match-fitness.

Midfielder Ismaila Coulibaly is in a similar position having undergone knee surgery shortly after returning to the Blades from two seasons on loan at sister club Beerschot.

Iliman Ndiaye, level with McBurnie on nine goals this season, is back in training after playing for Senegal at the World Cup.

Heckingbottom was hopeful of seeing teenage striker Daniel Jebbison back in training next week.