'Not a punishment' - Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder explains Tyrese Campbell absence in friendly win
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has explained why Tyrese Campbell missed the club’s friendly win over Rotherham United
Tyrese Campbell missed Sheffield United’s friendly win over Rotherham United to focus on his physical conditioning, according to Blades boss Chris Wilder.
Eyebrows were raised on Saturday (July 25) when Campbell’s name was missing from the squad named to face the Millers.
Wilder’s men ran out as 2-0 winners at the New York Stadium, with Tahith Chong and Callum O’Hare supplying the goals.
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Tyrese Campbell absence explained
Post-match, Wilder explained the reasoning behind Campbell’s surprise omission from the squad. As reported by The Star, he said: “Ty's worked away remotely. I need to get him into a physical condition where we can get repeated runs, because that's what we want from the top of the pitch.
“We want somebody to stretch the game. Tom [Cannon] does it, Ryan [One] does it. Ty, we need more out of. It's not a punishment; we just felt it was better to work him. After the Huddersfield game he had a double session Thursday, double session Friday and a session today.
“Instead of him coming on and maybe getting 20 minutes, half an hour. So, we have to work with him. His attitude's been good. So, hopefully these couple of days and maybe a couple more days on Monday or Tuesday will give us a better version of Ty that I’m looking for.
“As I said, it’s not a criticism or a punishment. We just need to get him closer to where I want him to be, not another manager wants him to be.”
Tyrese Campbell’s time at Sheffield United
Campbell joined Sheffield United from Stoke City in the summer of 2024, ending a lengthy association with the Potters.
The 26-year-old scored 11 Championship goals in his maiden Blades campaign, but his influence waned last term and he managed just six.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for the former England youth international, who could face quite the battle for minutes when the new season rolls around.