In the latest episode of Blades Heaven, Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom prepares for his side to host Manchester United in the Premier League.
He addresses injuries that have affected the squad, before looking at what a win against United on Saturday would mean.
Image source, Getty ImagesSheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom says there's no reason why Chris Basham won't return from the injury he sustained before the international break.
The 35 year-old fractured his ankle in the Blades' defeat to Fulham in their last game before the break. Due to the severity of the injury and Basham's age (35), there has been questions about whether he will be able to return to football.
"One thing to say about Bash [Chris Basham], everyone knows how naturally fit he is," Heckingbottom told the media ahead of Saturday night's Premier League match against Manchester United.
"He is blessed with really good endurance. He will come back fit as a fiddle, that won't take long. The surgeons are really happy with the work they have done, so there is no reason whatsoever.
"No one at all is thinking that way, especially not Bash.
"Everything has gone as well as it can. With an injury of that nature, everyone thinks of it because of how freakish it was and how horrible it looks. But you still get surgery and treated the same way.
"He is still in hospital. He is going crazy inside those four walls. He has had a couple of operations that were needed. Hopefully he will be getting home to his family in the next few days."
Heckingbottom also confirmed two other Blades players, John Egan and Tom Davies, have undergone surgery.
Egan suffered an Achilles injury at Craven Cottage and Davis hurt his thigh in training.
Heckingbottom added: "They are going to be out for a long time until they are back fit. John was in the game, he was jumping for a header.
"Tom, it was literally the last kick of the ball in training and he hurt his thigh, so it was a bad week for us."
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Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom has been speaking to the press before Saturday's Premier League home game against Manchester United.
Here are the main headlines from his media conference:
Chris Basham remains in hospital after two operations on the serious ankle injury he sustained at Fulham before the international break, but is likely to be allowed home "in the next few days".
Heckingbottom reflected on a "shocking week" of injuries, with John Egan (Achilles) and Tom Davies (thigh) also both having surgery on issues that will keep them out "for a long time".
On where those absences leave his squad, Heckingbottom said: "Because we were behind in terms of squad numbers when we started the season, I felt we were getting to a point where we'd made signings before the end of the window, one or two needed to get up to speed, and we were getting there. In the last international break we got three injuries and we've just got these three. It's sort of put us back to square one and if we're honest it's far from ideal."
However, Heckingbottom said those injuries provide chances for other players to shine: "We've had moments last season where it was similar, so it's an opportunity for others and we have to use that determination. The boys who are getting the opportunities have to be determined to stay in the team. What's hurting us is the length of these injuries and unfortunately there's nothing we can do about that until January."
On facing Manchester United and what a victory would do for morale at the club: "It's three points. We know what we're in for this season and we're up for that fight. We're going to be in our own little league at the bottom and that's fine, unless we can change that around by positive results. It [a win] changes the mood and is reward for the effort of the players. We'll be fighting and giving it all we can to get those three points."
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Sheffield United forward Cameron Archer discussed his ambitions with the Blades on Football Focus.
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Rob Staton, BBC Radio Sheffield
I was hosting a roundtable discussion on the radio with a couple of other journalists on Tuesday and we all shared the same opinion. For some reason, we all fancy Sheffield United against Manchester United.
This could end up looking really foolish come Saturday night. However, Erik ten Hag’s team are flaky. They’ve struggled in winnable games.
The international break perhaps came at a good time for the Blades and the supporters at Bramall Lane will throw themselves into a contest of this magnitude.
Of course, the injury situation for Paul Heckingbottom is so substantial that it could derail any hope of an upset. This is the type of occasion, though, when the home crowd comes into its own. Manchester United will need to be up for this and at times this year, they’ve been left wanting.
Roared on by a vocal fanbase, in a night game, will the Sheffield United players lift themselves in a way we have seen in the recent past?
Maybe it’s just vain hope that the Blades can throw a few punches back in the Premier League to ignite a challenging start to the season.
If they can get a win against the Red Devils though, it would provide a major boost.
The Africa Cup of Nations gets under way in January with potentially more than 40 Premier League players missing several weeks of the season as they head to the Ivory Coast.
Nottingham Forest will be the most affected as they could lose a league-high seven players who, so far, have played a significant amount of minutes this season.
Manchester United will lose three players including first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana, while Liverpool are set to lose star man Mohamed Salah.
Just two teams are likely to be unaffected, with defending champions Manchester City and Newcastle having no players involved at all as things stand.
Here's a full list of players who could be heading to next year's tournament, who have made at least one matchday squad for their respective clubs so far this season.
Read more on which Premier League players could be heading to the Africa Cup of Nations
Sheffield United have just one point from eight Premier League games this season (W0 D1 L7), the joint-lowest tally by a side at this stage in the competition. Defeat here would be the 10th occasion in English top-flight history of a side having one or fewer points from their first nine games in a campaign, while the Blades could be the first side to do so more than once, having had one point in their opening nine in 2020-21.
Man Utd have scored in all 10 of their Premier League games against Sheffield United, only having a higher 100% scoring record against Swansea (14/14) and Nottingham Forest (13/13) in the competition.
Sheffield United have faced 176 shots in the Premier League this season, the second-most on record (from 2003-04) by a side in their first eight matches of a campaign in the competition (Hull City 184 in 2016-17).
Only James Maddison (48) has had more combined shots and chances created in the Premier League this season than Man Utd’s Bruno Fernandes (47 – 25 shots, 22 chances created). Indeed, since the Portuguese midfielder made his competition debut, he ranks top for the two metrics combined with 726 (371 shots, 355 chances created).
Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom has lost 14 of his 18 Premier League games as a manager (78% - W3 D1). Among managers to take charge of 10 or more games in the competition, only Jan Siewert (80% - 12
defeats in 15) has a poorer loss ratio.
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Darren England has been named as fourth official for Saturday’s Premier League game between Brentford and Burnley.
Dan Cook has been confirmed as assistant referee for Sheffield United’s home match against Manchester United.
It is their first appointments since making the incorrect decision around Luis Diaz disallowed goal in Liverpool's game at Tottenham on 30 September.
Image source, InstagramChris Basham said he is "trying to stay positive" after confirming he has undergone two operations.
The Blades captain suffered a severe lower-leg injury against Fulham on Saturday as he attempted to make a cross.
He posted on Instagram:, external "Had my two surgeries done now and I can’t thank the surgeons enough for the fast response to me.
"The first surgery was for cleaning up the wound I suffered and dislocation, the second surgery was to repair the ligaments and to fit a plate on my bone where the fracture was.
"I’m in a cast now and it feel a lot more comfortable. Will be in London still for another few days but then be going home to recover in the right way.
"Trying to stay positive every day with great family and friends around me. Still overwhelmed by the support I have received. Thank you, Bash."
From high-flying Tottenham to a Sheffield United side facing quite the task, the early Premier League stories are compelling.
The Football News Show has dug into the data on the season so far.
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Rob Staton, BBC Radio Sheffield
I remember interviewing Chris Basham when he first arrived at Sheffield United. It was 2014, Nigel Clough was manager and in a change of scenery the press gathering took place at the Legends of the Lane. It was an impressive signing at the time and Basham spoke really well. A genuinely nice bloke who made a great first impression.
It’s testament to the man that a Basham interview in 2023 would be no different. The success he’s had at United — well earned, by the way, given the difficult times he and others initially experienced — hasn’t changed him. He comes across as one of the most grounded people you will meet in the game.
He’s an extremely likeable player. The fact he’s become a figurehead for United’s success over the years is well deserved, as is the brilliant 'Basham-bauer' nickname some fans have adopted.
It was upsetting to everyone to see the injury he suffered at Fulham. We’ve had fans from all of our local clubs ringing in to pass on their best wishes. That speaks volumes when fans are willing to cross the Sheffield divide and come together.
It’ll be a long recovery, but whatever happens next there’s no doubt that Basham’s place in Sheffield United’s modern history is secure.
His injury though, paired with bad news for John Egan and Tom Davies, illustrates how stretched the Blades are again. It’s getting to the point where you start to wonder if there’s anything they can do in what is becoming an increasingly challenging Premier League return.
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BBC Sport statistician Chris Collinson looks at who is exceeding expectations and those underperforming in the Premier League.
Tottenham are "running hot" and does the data show we may get more of a competitive title race than we expected?
Watch The Football News Show in full on BBC iPlayer
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BBC Sport statistician Chris Collinson looks at how the promoted sides are getting on.
You can watch more on the subject on The Football News Show here
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Ben Meakin, BladesPod, external
I hope I am wrong, but the horrific ankle injury suffered by Chris Basham this weekend could signal the end of the line for a modern Blades great.
If that proves to be the case, I am sure Bash’s career with United will sit in the pantheon of great players from the club’s history. He is certain to be remembered as one of the most popular to pull on the red-and-white stripes in the past few decades.
Part of that is the way it started, almost 10 years ago, when Basham first signed in League One. He was not bad, but he was not good either; just very mediocre under a succession of managers.
Enter Chris Wilder, and Basham was converted into an all-action central defender who dribbled out of defence and got into the opposition box. Basham’s rise from League One mediocrity to top-flight relevance mirrored the club’s own.
United, aided by Basham’s marauding runs and never-say-die defending, climbed the leagues and finished in the top 10 of the Premier League in 2019-20. He was so pivotal that Alan Shearer picked him alongside Virgil van Dijk in his team of the season.
'Bashambauer' has brought me an unbelievable amount of enjoyment as a Sheffield United fan. I have taken great delight in watching opposition defenders – and fans – panic whenever he started dancing forward with the ball, or suddenly burst into the area on the overlap, or any of the other highlight moments he has treated us to down the years.
He’s given us big goals, absurd pirouettes, and three promotions. And he used to work at McDonald's.
Whatever happens next for Basham – and I wish him the speediest of recoveries – I just want to say: thank you.
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Former Sheffield United striker Carl Asaba gave his ideas on how to improve Sheffield United's form on the Blades Heaven podcast after another defeat to Fulham on Saturday: "The thing with our formation and why it was always successful is because we had the players that suited that formation. We had incredible centre-backs who could dribble and play up to the wing backs who were attacking. We're trying to do the same thing with players who haven't got those abilities against much tougher opposition.
"We're playing an attacking formation, but we're defending so this formation is terrible if you're defending. We've just come up a division, we should be as solid as we can, we can't go toe-to-toe and I feel it's been too bull-headed.
"These [Fulham] aren't the best team in the division and they've schooled us. You must adapt the formation to suit your players and suit the division you're in.
"The defenders are being let down by the formation becuase we have two strikers to press, but they can't press so that's two players out of the equation. You've got three in the midfield, they are bypassing our three because they can't cover down the sides. It's basic football, I don't get it.
"Cameron Archer should play ten and drop deep when they don't have the ball so Souza can go wide-right and Hamer can go wide-left and that's our midfield sured up.
"Their keeper was throwing it to the half way line, but it takes us 10 passes to get to the halfway line. It's so basic, absolutely shocking!"
Listen to the full episode here on BBC sounds
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We asked for your views on Saturday's game between Fulham and Sheffield United.
Here are some of your comments:
Fulham fans
Tim: A win against the league's worst side isn't something to get too excited about, but scoring three goals is pleasing. We are ticking along nicely, which is about the extent of our ambition this season.
Alan: As ridiculous as it sounds, this was a must-win game for Fulham. Monday night's tepid display against our neighbours Chelsea confirmed what we have been saying all season - we need a striker and Jimenez isn't that guy (sorry)! It was good to see Silva mixing it up and starting Iwobi and Vinicius because it definitely gave Fulham more of an attacking threat.
Kevin: It’s a bit of a concern that we are completely reliant on our midfield to score the goals. Against Sheffield United we were fortunate, and the performance suggests it’s going to be a long, nervous season, where we hope there are at least three teams worse than us.
Marbella: That was much better from Fulham. Willian was awesome. And Tom Cairney - what a substitution! It was dreadful to watch that injury to Basham - I pray that he recovers to play again. Come on, you Whites.
Sheffield United fans
Eric: We're just not good enough. We seem way off the pace. But best wishes to Basham, we will miss him.
Bob: I have been a Sheffield United season ticket-holder for some 28 years, and I have never seen such a poor Blades side. They are are just not good enough to play in the Premier League. They are clueless and totally demoralised. I have a lot of respect for Paul Heckingbottom, but I think he has run out of ideas.
Neil: The Blades need to try playing as they did in the Championship, as this way isn't working. We need to go toe to toe with the lesser Premier League teams, instead of trying to catch teams on the break.
Pete: The match is irrelevant. We are more concerned for our captain Basham. It was an awful injury and possibly a career-ender.
Image source, Getty ImagesSheffield United's search for a first win of the season continues, as Fulham secured a 3-1 win over the promoted side.
But the match was overshadowed by a devastating injury to Blades captain Chris Basham, which led to the game being stopped for 13 minutes during the first half as the 35-year-old received treatment.
"You never want to see somebody have a horrendous injury like that. It's obviously sad to lose the game, but that goes into insignificance when you consider what Chris Basham will be going through, and all of the thoughts that will be going through his head," Cheltenham Town defender Curtis Davies told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.
"It's a real loss for them. He was part of the last group that got to the Premier League and his experience and know-how will be important for the rest of the season. Unfortunately for him, it seems that experience and know-how is going to have to be from the sidelines.
"The biggest thing Sheffield United have to take from this is that mentality that 'we're going to do it for him' and making sure they're not going to let their heads go down because of what's happened to Chris Basham."
Image source, BBC Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis of Saturday's six Premier League fixtures.
If you missed Match of the Day, then fear not- you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer here.
And Match of the Day 2 brings you a round-up of Sunday's games here.
Listen back to Saturday's commentaries in full on BBC Sounds:
And Sunday's commentaries are available here:
