Sheffield United manager's revealing admission ahead of Norwich City game on January 18 - but Blades may have to 'suffer' first

Fortunately, the Blades manager spies clear light after that, with Wilder confident that five or six injured players will be back in contention for the home game with Norwich City on January 18.

Should the Championship promotion chasers secure some of the new signings which he craves before then, Wilder’s confidence will be further emboldened.

United have a number of targets, including forward duo Emile Riis and Ben Brereton Diaz with the latter spending last term on loan at Bramall Lane.

For the time being, depleted United - whose winless sequence extended to three matches in a 2-1 defeat at Sunderland - who are now just two points behind them in the table - must work with what they have got.

They visit Watford on Saturday and entertain Cardiff City in the FA Cup next Thursday.

On the prospect of incoming business before the Norwich game, Wilder, who will without a number of players including Tyrese Campbell, Vini Souza and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi until then, said: "Definitely. We’re confident that we can.

"If we do hopefully get a couple over the line, then Tyrese, Vini, Femi (Seriki) and Jamie Shackleton are back and Jez is back and then all of sudden, you are putting a completely different spin on our group. It’s just getting to that stage.

"If you are talking about adding two or three in there, we might have eight players back (options), which is ridiculous really.

"But at the moment, we haven’t and we have to get on with it. If we have to suffer, we have to suffer. But there’s still a long way to go and a lot of football to be played and there’s been some interesting results (on New Year’s Day).

"I believe for the Norwich game - maybe not Saturday or the cup game - we will have five or six back (from injury).

"We are obviously working extremely hard with the backing of the new owners who have been very positive in their discussions with myself and the recruitment department to add to the group."

Wilder admits that some players are ‘out on their feet’ following a gruelling schedule of games, with the squad situation compounded by the fact that the Blades chief is not willing to expose a number of young players on the bench with next to no second-tier experience to the unforgiving Championship.

Reinforcements would certainly help the Blades chief – who has recalled young defender Sam Curtis from a loan spell at Peterborough United – in a big way.

Preston striker Riis - a player who Wilder tried to sign at Middlesbrough - is on his wish-list and out of contract in the summer.

Former United boss Paul Heckingbottom has admitted he’d be reluctant to sanction a January exit, despite acknowledging that there is ‘nothing’ that Preston can do about Riis's contractual situation.

Brereton Diaz could be on the move this month, with Southampton manager Ivan Jurić having revealed that the Saints are planning to cut their squad.