Sheffield United: Blades will not take risks with Billy Sharp’s injury

Seeing the captain and top-scorer go off with a hamstring problem was the major concern from the Blades’ final match before the international break, a 2-0 victory over Barnsley.

Sharp has allayed those fears but with seven matches in April and a place in the Championship play-offs to play for, Heckingbottom is not simply going to take his word for it.

“If you speak to Bill, he’s fit,” said Heckingbottom.

“We were pleased he got a few days off and got the scan.

“It’s minor damage. We’ve been able to progress him quickly, he’s been on the grass running. We just want to make sure if we put him on the pitch he’s able to contribute, whether that’s for 90 minutes or 20 minutes.”

Centre-backs Chris Basham and Charlie Goode are still missing with injury, which partly explains the signing of free agent Filip Uremovic, but there was better news elsewhere.

“George (Baldock) is fit and available,” confirmed Heckingbottom. “Ben (Davies) is back in training. Flecky (John Fleck) and Enda (Stevens) have had a couple of weeks training with us. Enda played in the Under-23s so they are a little bit further on. To have those back in is a big boost for us.”

Heckingbottom also said “a couple” of un-named players had returned from international duty “carrying knocks”.

Meanwhile, the Blades’ latest accounts have revealed that a disastrous 2020-21 on the field was a profitable season off it, although the longer-term costs of demotion will have been huge.

With turnover down from £143m to £115m, the club posted a profit of £9.5m, down £8m from the previous year.

The wage bill dropped by more than £20m to £56.5m. The absence of performance-related bonuses having finished ninth the previous season contributed but the saving was all but wiped out by television revenue dropping from £120m to £101m.

Then-manager Chris Wilder was frustrated in his attempts to increase the wage bill by adding further quality to the squad and it looked a false economy because relegation means the club will be bringing in tens of millions of pounds less in broadcasting revenue this term.

However they have put themselves in strong contention for a swift return to the Premier League, fifth in the table with eight games remaining.