Paul Heckingbottom gives update on Sheffield United's Billy Sharp, Jayden Bogle, Oli McBurnie and Rhian Brewster

Sharp was afflicted by hamstring problems towards the end of last season. He made his return from the bench in the home game with Cardiff on April 23, but then picked up a separate calf injury which saw him miss the remaining games, including the club's play-off campaign.

Defender Bogle has been sidelined with a knee problem since the derby at Huddersfield Town on February 12.

Heckingbottom, whose side kick off the new season with a trip to Watford on Monday, August 1, said: "With Sharpy, we tried to rush and give him every opportunity to be fit if we got to the play-off final, even to the extent of having the blood infusion.

"It was a calculated risk which didn’t work so it slowed it down. But we expect him to be fit for the start of the season."

On Bogle, he continued: Jayden will be a lot longer, the season will have started before we get Jayden back.

"Oli Mac (Oliver McBurnie) is progressing well as well, hopefully get him out on the grass in the next few days. He’ll be doing rehab with the physios on the grass, full weight-bearing. It needs to be physical.

Brewster has been out of action since the end of January with a serious hamstring problem which necessitated surgery.

Heckingbottom said: "Depending how he progresses, he’s missed a lot and had surgery, even if he hits every marker and keeps progressing as we expect, we’ll manage him back in, I think.

"It’d be great to have him involved in pre-season but whatever happens, he knows he’ll be pushed and we’ll do all we can to get him to the levels we want. We were seeing that before he got injured."