Blade's sharpness praised as Sheffield United's Jack Robinson shows his professionalism

Robinson was easily the Blades' best player last season but the form of Souttar and Ahmedhodzic has reduced him to a bit-part role this. He will be vital at West Browmich Albion on Sunday, though, when the other two will be completing suspensions for recent red cards.

Manager Wilder has been full of praise for the way Robinson kept himself fit and ready for when he was needed, playing his part in clean sheets against Oxford United and Sunderland.

"Jack was in the team for the first two games, he was our outstanding player last season, head and shoulders our player of the year he scooped up almost everything at the awards ceremony and rightly so and the skipper finds himself out of the team," said Wilder.

"What does he do? He gets on with it, gets himself ready, puts himself in a good position physically to make sure when the door opens he makes it hard now for the others to get back in. There's big decisions and that's what we want right the way through."

Robinson has started both games since Ahmedhodzic was sent off at Coventry City, and making sure he was physically right for the challenge has not been easy.

"It's virtually impossible to organise a (practice) game," complained Wilder. "How can we organise a game against another team and get that right for us? So you're putting boys into under-21 games where you're only allowed three over-age players.

"Then you've got to look at the travelling they're doing as well.

"There are less and less competitive minutes (for first-teamers not in the XI). I'd love it even if there was more leeway with senior players being allowed to play in under-21 games. I don't see why not.

"I still think we would develop players if there were a lot more opportunities for senior players. From my experience the game teaches you, coaches teach you but most importantly the senior players teach you. I've talked about that in our training sessions."