Sheffield United could be handed a massive boost ahead of the weekend’s clash with Fulham, with John Egan in line to feature for the Blades.
Egan has been a doubt for the game after going into self-isolation following a positive test within the Republic of Ireland camp while on international duty.
However, Chris Wilder revealed that the Irishman has since tested negative for the virus and the club were now speaking with relevant authorities to see if Egan can be available for Sunday.
“We’re looking at the administration, the protocols and trying to make sure that nobody breaks any Premier League or government rules,” Wilder said. (Sheffield Star)
“He’s fit and he’s passed his Covid test. But there’s different administrations we have to deal with and different things we need to look at.”
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Wilder, though, admitted that he is still not 100% certain if Egan will play, conceding that protocols in different countries meant it was a tricky situation to deal with.
Egan has already missed time for United this season through suspension. And with the likes of Oli Burke, David McGoldrick, and John Fleck all said to be struggling, having the Irish defender fit would be a huge bonus for Wilder.
A case of wait and see
Normal protocols in England would surely mean Egan misses the game. He’s within the 14 day self-isolation period that everyone else has to observe if they’ve been a close contact of someone.
However, we don’t know the ins and outs of what went on within the Ireland squad. It could be that Egan wasn’t actually a ‘test and trace’ contact and that he withdrew – as was rumoured at the time – of his own accord.
We will have to see. But one thing’s for sure, and that’s that we could well do with our best defender against Fulham.