Sheffield United: Sander Berge and Morgan Gibbs-White concerns addressed
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Both, however, are just coming back from injury and given the hectic nature of the Blades schedule recently, Berge and Gibbs-White were left out of the starting line-up for Satursday’s defeat to Millwall.
That selection decision prompted concerns over the the pair’s fitness as United head into a double-header that could prove crucial to their season with Nottingham Forest first up on Friday night before Middlesbrough also make the journey to Bramall Lane on Tuesday.
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Hide AdHowever, manager Paul Heckingbottom has dismissed any fears over the attacking midfielders and both are expected to be available to start this week’s visit of Steve Cooper’s side.
"I'm hoping they are there [fitness-wise],” said the Blades boss. “Morgan I'm not really worried about because he's got a history of doing that. He was only out for six weeks.
"Sander over the last couple of years, he's had his own problems which he's been battling through and he's working really hard.
"We want to do right by him - we want to win every game but we want to do right by him at the same time because he's going to be an important player for us between now and the end of the season.
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Hide Ad“With the numbers we have got left, we are like that with a lot of players - we need to protect them but we need them out on the pitch.
“I've got no concerns whatsoever now with Sander with where he is physically and how he's been training.
"He's consistently been on the grass training, he's consistently been available to play, he's played a lot of games, a lot of 90s, played two games in a week at times. If someone was overseeing his return back purely in terms of a medical point of view he's ticked all the boxes, so for me, he's fine.”
Both George Baldock and Conor Hourihane should also be fit for Friday night’s match which pits seventh in the Championship against ninth.