Paul Heckingbottom issues update on Sheffield United individual after setback against Reading

Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom has revealed that striker Oli McBurnie has had an x-ray on a foot injury suffered in Friday’s 2-1 defeat at home to Reading.

With top scorer Billy Sharp still out through injury, it was McBurnie who once again named in the starting lineup to lead the line for the Blades against Paul Ince’s side.

However, the striker was forced ten minutes into the second half with a foot injury, to be replaced by teenager Daniel Jebbison.

Now it seems that the Blades will have to wait to discover the extent of the injury, although it seems Heckingbottom is at least confident it will not be as serious as a fracture.

Providing an update on McBurnie after the game, the Blades boss was quoted by The Sheffield Star as saying: “Oli has been for an X-ray, he was hobbling about, but the initial feeling is there is no fracture.

“If that is the case, then it’s either soft tissue damage – which is obviously what we’re hoping for – or it’s ligament damage.”

So far this season, McBurnie has yet to score in 28 Championship games for Sheffield United, who remain sixth in the table despite that loss to the Royals.

With the Blades next in action away at Bristol City on Monday, it seems McBurnie may be in a race against time if he is to feature for his side in their next outing.

The Verdict

This will be a big concern for Sheffield United you feel.

With Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick already out, losing McBurnie would mean the club could be forced to turn to teenagers such as Jebbison and Will Osula to lead the line.

That is something that will put a huge amount of pressure on those players at such an early stage of their careers, given what is at stake with the battle to secure a play-off place.

As a result,