Triple Sheffield United injury boost confirmed for Leeds United clash as update on 21-goal trio provided
Leeds United head to Bramall Lane for a huge Championship clash a week on Monday.
Sheffield United will have Gustavo Hamer, Tom Cannon and Kieffer Moore available for next Monday’s meeting with Leeds United, manager Chris Wilder has confirmed.
Top-scorer Hamer was a surprise absence from the Sheffield United squad for Saturday’s hard-fought 1-0 win at Luton Town, having complained of a minor hamstring issue during his side’s midweek victory over Middlesbrough. Cannon, who arrived from Leicester City in a £10million deal last month, was withdrawn at half-time against Boro while Kieffer Moore has been out since New Year’s Day.
Sheffield United leapfrogged Leeds to go top of the Championship with that win at Kenilworth Road, albeit Daniel Farke’s side can reclaim league-leader status with a point or three at home to Sunderland on Monday. It makes the Yorkshire derby at Bramall Lane a week later all the more enticing and Wilder will have three key players back in time to feature.
“All three will be available for next week,” Wilder told The Star following his side’s win at Luton. “I was never in the mindframe of risking Gus today because of his fatigue in his hamstring and with Tom we just didn't have enough time. If the game was 48 hours later and we were playing Monday or Tuesday then he'd have been fit but we made a decision on that.
“Kieffer’s had a week of work. We could have put him on the bench and had him involved but we felt there was more benefit for him to have a full week's training and then he's got another eight days in the lead up to the Leeds United game.”
The trio were a big miss on Saturday, with Sheffield United struggling for large parts before Anel Ahmedhodzic’s 79th-minute winner. Hamer and Moore have scored 12 goals between them this season while Cannon - who is yet to find the net for his new club - bagged nine in 22 league games on loan at Stoke City during the first-half of the campaign.
Their returns will take Sheffield United close to full strength, with midfielder Tom Davies back in the squad on Saturday and full-back Femi Seriki also thought to be closing in on a return. Similarly, Leeds can boast an impressively clean bill of health with only two absentees.
Defender Max Wober underwent successful knee surgery earlier this month - his second such procedure of the campaign - and is expected to be out for around six weeks. Patrick Bamford has also suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury picked up on New Year’s Day, with a return to training pushed back.
Both will miss Monday’s visit of Sunderland to Elland Road and that trip to Bramall Lane a week later. Farke will hope his side can come through the former clash without any issues.