Sheffield United boss, Paul Heckingbottom, has praised the attitude of striker Oli McBurnie in the wake of yet more injury misery.
McBurnie played on Saturday as United drew 3-3 with Blackpool at Bramall Lane. The big striker had missed the previous game through suspension and Heckingbottom opted to go with Billy Sharp over the Scotland international this weekend.
However, there was a reason behind Heckingbottom’s decision. McBurnie is managing a hernia problem and is booked in for surgery during the World Cup. Despite that, the Blades boss says McBurnie continues to make himself available for selection and it’s a trait the United manager admires greatly.
“Now that we know Oli is going in, we can push him even harder. We can do that because we know it’s going to get sorted out. He’s had it for some time now, it’s been a while and that’s why we’ve booked him in,” Heckingbottom told The Star.
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“To be fair to Oli, he always puts himself out there. That tells you the type of character that he is. He is always prepared, even if it’s not always in his own best interests, to try and help the team and I think that’s to be respected and admired.”
McBurnie had been in fine form prior to being suspended. The striker can expect to come back into the XI at Coventry in midweek, with Sharp putting in an average performance at best and Rhian Brewster missing a penalty.
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Blades fans will be hoping this is the temporary blip every club has in a season in the Championship. It’s now four games without a win and three at home as well. At the moment, that form simply isn’t good enough.
However, the good news is players are returning and there is a game in midweek to give the players a chance to banish the blues of this weekend.
Norwood’s late leveller will have at least ensured good feeling – to an extent – at full time. United were hammered at Coventry last season and surely the players will want to put that right this week. Having McBurnie available is going to be big in winning in the Midlands, while getting him fully up to speed after this planned surgery is imperative.
