Sheffield United have faced an anxious wait over the fitness and availability of John Egan this week, after the defender returned from Ireland duty due to Covid-19 protocols.
Although Egan wasn’t infected and Chris Wilder has confirmed he has since returned a negative test, question marks remain over whether Egan can start today’s clash with Fulham.
However, looking at some of the weekend fixtures, it looks increasingly promising that Egan will get the nod.
That is because Callum O’Dowda, who was said to be in a similar position to Egan following his time with Ireland, came off the bench for Bristol City in their 2-2 draw with Barnsley yesterday.
And similarly, Kieran Tierney – who was removed from Scotland duty for similar reasons – started the game with Manchester City yesterday for Arsenal.
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Based on that, it looks very much like Chris Wilder will get to name Egan afterall, in what is a crucial fixture at The Lane.
Massive boost
Our squad is a bit decimated as it is and with four losses on the bounce, we need our best players fit and available where possible. Egan is certainly in that bracket.
His inclusion will offer a massive boost for the whole squad. His inclusion is especially important given the physical presence Aleksandar Mitrovic brings to the table. Egan is well-equipped to handle the Serbian, who may fancy his chances agains the inexperienced Ethan Ampadu.
Hopefully, this is a bit of luck turning in our favour and the Irishman can help inspire us to our first three points of the campaign today.