Sheffield United v Lincoln City: Steady approach best policy for Blades' Tom Davies as former club Everton loom

But his overriding priority is to have the Merseysider available to face the club who released him in the summer.

A League Cup second-round tie at home to League One Lincoln City could offer a chance for valuable minutes to summer signings Davies and Anis Slimane, neither of whom made the bench at home to Manchester City on Sunday.

Cameron Archer will also be available to make his debut after Sunday's £18.5m move from Aston Villa and centre-back Auston Trusty could too having watched the first three matches of the season from the substitute's bench.

Slimane's integration has been slowed down by a hamstring injury, Davies' by spending the summer training alone after being released by Everton.

The Toffees are the Blades' next league opponents and as another of the four Premier League sides yet to pick up a point – newly-promoted Burnley and Luton Town are in the same boat having played one fewer game – so Saturday's early kick-off is of huge importance.

The plan is for Davies to be an option in it.

"Tom's not trained with any players since the beginning of May (until he joined Sheffield United) and he's had nine days' training with us," said Heckingbottom.

"We're trying to put him through a pre-season to get him ready to attack the game. We don't want to risk his body at that point.

"We'll see how he is for Wednesday but I'm not fussed on that. Hopefully, we'll have him for the Everton game for minutes.

"If not, he'll have had a good block of work and then the international break as well so he'll have had his little pre-season and all we'll need from him is game-time."

Davies was with Everton from the age of 11 but, hampered by injuries, failed to live up to the promise that saw him make his Premier League debut as a 17-year-old and break the record as the club's youngest captain in a League Cup game against Rotherham United aged 20.

Everton allowed his contract to run down in the summer.

Davies was on the bench at Nottingham Forest in the second game of the season but in truth it was probably partly about making up the numbers on the nine-man bench with the squad depleted by injury and transfer business still not concluded.

With the fit-again Oli McBurnie and Jayden Bogle available , it had a stronger look at the weekend.

Slimane, signed from Bromby for £1m plus add-ons in July, came off the bench on the opening weekend of the season but has been troubled with a hamstring problem since.

Ben Osborn came off against Manchester City with a groin problem and, in a match of this nature, it would seem unwise to risk the utility man who has filled different positions in each of the opening three games.