Jack O'Connell pushing for return but he will have to displace Sheffield United's in-form man, says manager Chris Wilder

Centre-back O'Connell played every minute of Premier League football until the coronavirus pandemic, but a training-ground collision with goalkeeper Dean Henderson means he has not played since. January signing Jack Robinson has deputised, and Wilder has praised him as the Blades' best performer in the final phase of the season.

Despite that, and despite not having played since the pre-resumption friendlies, Wilder has said O'Connell will be involved at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday if he can prove his fitness.

“With Jack (O'Connell), we're hoping he’s back on the grass today (Tuesday), we’ll assess him accordingly,” revealed Wilder. “Off the back of that if he’s fit, he’ll be involved.

“Jack (O'Connell)’s been a regular in a settled defence but I think Jack Robinson has been our best player in the last four games, overall. When Jack O'Connell gets fit he’ll put pressure on to reclaim his place but Jack Robinson has not let anyone down, he’s been outstanding in his attitude and play.

“He’s produced consistent performances and that’s what I’m looking for. A couple need to get back to the performance levels they showed before (the pandemic).”

O'Connell has been described as being close to being in contention before all four post-lockdown games, against Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Arsenal, and Wilder says he is working hard to get back onto the field.

“Every day that goes by gives him more of a chance, his attitude is spot on and he’ll be doing everything he can to make that happen as soon as possible,” he said.

“We have to make the right decision, looking at the medium and long-term with these type of injuries. If it’s right for us, we’ll consider it.

“He’s been fabulous for us for a number of years, art of our outstanding record that has helped us achieve what we have.”

Unsurprisingly, some have drawn a direct link between O'Connell's absence and the Blades' poor restart to the season, an unconvincing if unfortunate 0-0 draw at Villa Park, consecutive 3-0 defeats, then a much-improved but still unsuccessful FA Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. Wilder believes there is more to it than that.

“The goals we’ve conceded haven’t been from us being disjointed defensively, they’ve been individual errors,” commented Wilder. “Seven of the eight goals have come from that.

“Arsenal's winner (in Sunday's 2-1 defeat), I counted five mistakes in there. Stop the first one so one doesn’t become two and two doesn’t become three. We have to be better at that.

“It's frustrating to see errors, uncharacteristic ones as well. It’s not frustrating just for supporters and me, it’s frustrating for the players.

“You get punished in the Premier League, it’s not like the Championship or League One. The timings of the goals have been poor, down to 10 (men) at Newcastle and we concede straight away, after five minutes and five minutes before half-time against Manchester United, our best period against Arsenal and we give a penalty away. Then we get back into the game and believe we’d have got a result in extra-time, and we give a goal away.

“A few players haven’t hit the heights that they did before we stopped, which does affect the rhythm of the team, but the positive is that the players gave me everything.

“On Sunday the distances (run by the players) were greater than most of the games this season. This shows me they want to turn it around.

“It was a determined performance, not one of our best but a reaction and showed what the club and the players are about.

“(But) we’re shooting ourselves in the foot at the minute, we can’t keep giving teams headstarts.”

Midfielder John Lundstram, another hugely influential figure this season, left the field against Arsenal with his arm in a makeshift sling on Sunday, and his scan results are due today.

“It looked quite an awkward fall so I should imagine he’ll be touch and go for Thursday but it's dependent on the results of the scan,” said Wilder, who reported no other fresh problems from the FA Cup tie.

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