'No excuses' insists Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder after confirming significant injury blow for Ollie Arblaster

The influential Blades captain, 20 - who has impressed for club and country in a breakthrough 2024 - is sidelined for a significant spell after injuring his knee in the recent Steel City derby with Sheffield Wednesday.

Wilder, whose promotion chasing side visit Coventry City on Saturday, said: “He is obviously not in a great place mentally at the moment. But this is a test for him as a young player.

"For this to happen at this part of his career, he has to get over it and get on with it. As you can imagine, he’ll get all the support from everybody, but there will be a bit of tough love in there as well as he has to use the time diligently.

"But I am never going to have any excuses about anything. These things happen.

"We’ve had Kieffer (Moore) out, Rhian (Brewster) out and Anel (Ahmedhodzic) suspended and we’ve come through that period okay and it’s up to the others to step through that period now.

"Tom Davies is back and Sydie Peck played for the (England) under-20s and it’s an opportunity for him and Jamie Shackleton.

"We are going to miss a good player. But all the clubs are missing players. Leeds United have had their injury problems and other clubs have had. It’s how they get over it and get on with it and not use it as an excuse.

"We are not reliant on an 19 or 20-year-old boy for our success. It’s the sum of everything we all put together."

Wilder has not put a timeframe on Arblaster’s absence, amid speculation suggesting that he will be out for the remainder of the campaign.

He added: "We’ll take it month by month, but he certainly won’t play until after Christmas.

"If we get him back before the end of the season, that’s great. If not, he’ll be ready for next year."