Sheffield United face a massive game against Reading on Friday at Bramall Lane and they could be boosted by the return of Chris Basham to the back three.
Basham has been missing since February with damage to his knee but is thought to be nearing a return. Indeed, he was pictured back in the gym and on the grass last week, prompting some to think we could have even seen Basham in the squad against Bournemouth last weekend. Of course, he was nowhere near in the end.
However, The Athletic have reported that Basham could actually be in contention to play over Easter. Their report claims that the return of the United defender could come as soon as Friday. The Blades take on Reading at 3pm on Good Friday, with a trip to Bristol City following on Easter Monday.
Of course, Basham’s return will create the debate about who plays in that right centre-back slot. Filip Uremovic has done well in recent games and has already made a case for being a cult-hero at the club.
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Paul Heckingbottom, though, will simply be happy to see bodies coming back. March proved a wretched month for the Blades in terms of injuries and Basham’s return would be timely.
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Heckingbottom doesn’t take any risks with players anyway so he won’t be throwing ‘Bash’ into the mix unless he is 100% certain he is ok. Even then, Uremovic has a case for starting ahead of him.
But the big difference here is that Basham offers that bit of dynamism when driving from the back. Yes, he might not get goals and assists galore. But he puts teams on the back foot and creates space for those around him by attracting opposition players.
Ultimately, if Basham proves his fitness then he’s back in the team. Uremovic will still have a big part to play, but Basham is the main man in that specific position.
