Callum Robinson wants to play the numbers game when he gets his Sheffield United chances

After heavy involvement in August, September and October, Robinson has found himself pushed down the pecking order for Sheffield United forwards.

But after coming off the bench to play a part in John Fleck's equalising goal at Arsenal, and with manager Chris Wilder using both cup competitions to rotate his squad, he will hope for a rare start against Millwall in Saturday's fourth-round tie. If he gets it, he will be looking for something more concrete than just a good performance.

“I always try to make an impact if I do get minutes in the league or in the cup, I try to make an impact with either a goal or an assist, or try to get involved in the forward play because that's why I'm here,” he argued. “That's what's going to get me in the team.

“I try to do my best defensively with the press but the main thing is goals and assists, and that's what going to get me in the team.”

Robinson scored at Chelsea in August, and the only assist he has been officially credited with this season came from the bench at home to Manchester United in November. Since starting eight of the Blades' first 10 matches back in the top flight, his only starts came at Manchester City, and at home to Fylde in the third round of the FA Cup.

“It can be a little bit difficult to adjust when you come on as a substitute,” admits Robinson, signed from Preston North End in the summer. “You need to get your second wind so the first five, 10 minutes are about getting up to speed but after that you should be in the flow.

“It was nice at Arsenal to get more than 10, 15 minutes. I enjoyed that and in the back end of the game I was right in the mix of it.

“It's harder in the Premier League – lads are quicker, stronger, but when I've been involved I've always tried to make an impact because I haven't lost the confidence in my ability but you're playing against world-class footballers.

“The lads have been doing well, which helps.

“It's my first full season in the Premier League and I'm learning and training hard but as a footballer you want to be training hard. I'm just waiting for my time to come and hopefully I can really push on.”

Fellow strikers Lys Mousset and more recently Oli McBurnie have shown the value of patience after taking time to adjust to Wilder's methods following summer moves.

“Mouss had a few years at Bournemouth and this season the penny's dropped for him, which shows what can happen with more experience and more games, the same as Oli McBurnie,” says Robinson. “We're all in the same sort of situation – young, hungry and only going to get better.

“The staff always make sure you're included and you don't feel left out if you're not playing as much as you want to. We all know we've got a job to do to get over the line, if it means being a sub or a starter, that's what we do.

“You have got to enjoy being a footballer. You could be stacking shelves at Sainsbury's. I enjoy it and we are picking up results, which makes it easier to have a smile on your face.”