Sheffield United: Injuries bite to leave Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom with fewer options

The Blades welcome Middlesbrough for a big Championship game tomorrow having drawn with Nottingham Forest on Friday when far from their best.

It was understandable with Jayden Bogle, David McGoldrick and Rhian Brewster out for the season, George Baldock, Chris Basham and Enda Stevens also injured, and Curtis Goode suspended. Heckingbottom also revealed Rhys Norrington-Davies, who played the whole of Friday’s 1-1 draw, and unused substitute Conor Hourihane are having their fitness “managed”.

So Heckingbottom was pleased with a point after Wes Foderingham saved a penalty and Forests’s Steve Cook hit the crossbar.

“We showed big strength,” he said. “We’re not going to dominate every team or every game. The moment you start thinking that, you’re in trouble.

“It’s square pegs in round holes, so I have to be really pleased with lots of things I saw.

“We’re not going to be as fluent as we were and we’ve all got to accept that. What we have to do is find a different way.”

Femi Seriki made a difficult full debut at right wing-back before making way for fit-again Ben Osborn in the last 22 minutes.

“We’re throwing people together now out of necessity, not out of choice,” stressed the manager. ”Some people can make themselves heroes and hopefully get us in the play-offs.

“George wanted to carry on but if it (his knee problem) is getting worse each game there comes a point where he’s going to have to miss one. We’re managing him, Rhys and Conor Hourihane is now, so we’ve got a few.

“But I’d take that, that happens during a season. It’s the boys who are missing for the season, that’s the real kick in the teeth.”