Defensive duo back in Blades training

Defensive duo Craig Alcock and Terry Kennedy returned to training on Wednesday following injury, along with Jose Baxter and Jamal Campbell-Ryce.

Despite the season being in its infancy, Saturday’s home match with Chesterfield will see the Blades play their third game in a week. United crashed to an opening 4-0 loss at Gillingham, before beating Morecambe 1-0 on Tuesday night in the Capital One Cup.

It’s a run which has tested Adkins’s squad to the full, with Canadian international David Edgar drafted in on loan from Birmingham City to ease the strain.

“We had a game on Tuesday, a good win in the cup, and have one or two niggles,” Adkins told The Yorkshire Post. “This will be the third game in a week, but we utilised the squad well on Tuesday.

“We have a long injury list already, injuries from last season. It was good to see Craig Alcock and Terry Kennedy on the training ground this morning, as it was with Jose Baxter and Jamal Campbell-Ryce. That’s beneficial and hopefully getting players closer to being back in the fold.

“The previous two games we have only had the XI, the subs, and one extra from a fitness point of view.

“We have got several out, but so has everybody, and you will never hear me complain about that, it’s just reality.”