Sheffield United travel to Millwall today looking for another Championship win, albeit with a depleted squad to choose from.
Along with the long-term injuries to Rhian Brewster, Jayden Bogle, and David McGoldrick, United have picked up a number of other knocks in recent weeks. One of those is Chris Basham, who is set to miss a few weeks at least, while the likes of Baldock and Norrington-Davies scraped through the midweek win over Blackburn Rovers.
However, while a door shuts for some, another one opens for others and it could give some of United’s younger players the chance to make an impression. And according to Stuart McCall, the Blades are taking a couple of teenage talents down to London with them today.
“Little Blaster (Oliver Arblaster) will travel with us, he’s been impressive when he’s joined in,” McCall told Yorkshire Live.
“Joe Starbuck will travel with us as well and obviously Kyron, who has been in with the group, he’ll come along. Those two lads have not travelled before, but they are there on merit because they have trained really well this week and been training well all season.”
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United are creating a pathway for young players under the new ‘strategic vision’. Iliman Ndiaye has featured all season, while the likes of Gordon, Jebbison, Seriki, and more are highly-rated at The Lane.
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It’s unlikely Starbuck of Arblaster will be involved in the squad but this is a good old fashioned piece of management we don’t see too often in the modern era.
Heckingbottom and McCall are simply taking younger players with them to experience the day. Of course, as McCall says, they must have been impressing in training to be given that chance.
It’s an exciting period at United at the moment. And seeing younger players included like this only adds to the good feeling around the club.