Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder hits out at 'outrageous' situation for busy Blades
SHEFFIELD United manager Chris Wilder has hit out at the 'outrageous' scheduling of early-season games ahead of the first international break of the 2026-27 campaign.
The Blades, who lost to a late goal in Sunday's Championship home game against Wolves, have a three-game schedule for the fourth successive week - before the hiatus.
After next Saturday's appointment at Stoke City, they will have played 11 matches in all competitions in the space of 41 days.
Wilder, whose side visit Fleetwood in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, said: "We're all looking for consistency. We're all looking to drop on it, whether that's (after) the late transfer window, the lack of the timing of players being available in the transfer window, the World Cup being involved…
"I think we're all in this period. I think it's outrageous, the schedule that we're having to play in. For everybody. Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday at the start of the season.
"We're seeing players getting injured (and) 'overuse' injuries with the way the game has moved forward.
"I played in an era where players were playing 42 games a season for five or six years. The game has moved on but the schedule for everybody is ridiculous.
"We have a midweek game, Wolves have an advantage of having a free week on us and we get punished for going through to the next round of the cup.
“But we're in a good place. I enjoyed the (Wolves) performance, I didn't enjoy the result. But we're okay.
“There are players coming back after the international break and work to be done in that break. There's good signs, minus the obvious (result)."
Jordan Ayew made his debut from the bench in the second half and Wilder is sure he will prove his worth.
He continued: "He's had the bit between his teeth shielded for about 600 games, the majority of them in the Premier League and captain in his country, so I think it's a great signing for us."