Sheffield United: Carlos Corberan factor clouds Paul Heckingbottom's preparations

Heckingbottom takes his Blades to the Hawthorns, where Corberan will be in charge of West Bromwich Albion for the first time.

The Blades manager knows something will be different, but does not know what.

"For us it's the worst time (to play them)," he admitted. "If (caretaker-manager) Rich Beale was still doing the team we'd prepare off the last few games but it's happened before and it will happen again.

"When we prepared for West Brom at Bramall Lane last season, Steve (Bruce) had just come in.

"We know something will be different but we don't know what and we have to be prepared as well as we can but when it's like that, the emphasis has to be on us and how well we can prepare as much as anything.

"There are similarities with West Brom and Huddersfield at times under Carlos but we're guessing. There'll be certain things we are sure we can expect, especially in terms of personnel and their threats.

"He's brought in a couple of people he knows well and trusts and he'll put his stamp on this West Brom team.

"When there's a change there's a different feel straight away.

"There's a little different energy and a different spark but it's putting something in place that works over a longer period."

Corberan's first season as Leeds's under-23s coach when Heckingbottom was manager in 2018.

As for how long it will take Corberan, who joins after two seasons in charge of Huddersfield and a brief period at Olympiacos, to make his mark on the Baggies, Heckingbottom was unsure.

"It can be different because you'll have ideas before you go and sometimes they might suit the players but until you go in, you don't know," he argued.

"That continues because it changes with injuries, suspension, results and loss of form.

"I saw a few of their games early on and they should have won games, they could easily have been higher up (the table). With the experience and calibre of players they have, we're up against a real good side."

After six games without a win, the Blades' focus on themselves will concentrate on more ruthlessness, with Heckingbottom saying they need to be "more clinical at the top of the pitch and virtually giving nothing away at the other end."

Ciaran Clark and Enda Stevens have been back in full training this week, but Heckingbottom was coy about whether they would feature on Saturday. There was bad news for Wales international Rhys Norrington-Davies, though, whose World Cup hopes have been written off.

“Enda and Ciaran are training this week, they’ve done a lot of rehab work and it's great to have them back,” said Heckingbottom. “They’re at different stages, in terms of needing game-time but it’s great to see them back out there.

"They started at the beginning of the week, but didn’t get pushed through all of it. But now they’re doing it all, they’ve joined back in properly. It’s great to have them involved again and back out there with the lads.”

Norrington-Davies suffered a serious hamstring injury against Coventry City.

“Rhys is going to have a second opinion, seeing as many people as possible,” he said. “He’s getting his head around it and which way he wants to go. Months rather than weeks? Yes, months.”

Daniel Jebbison has avoided surgery on a foot issue.

“Jebbo is not going to go down the route of having an operation,” said his manager. “He planted his foot to shoot and he heard and felt something. It’s a ligament."