Paul Heckingbottom issues verdict on Sander Berge and Morgan Gibbs-White as Forest clash looms

Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom has admitted that he is hoping that Sander Berge and Morgan Gibbs-White are both getting closer to the position where they can start for the club in every match.

Berge has been deployed as a substitute in three of the Blades’ last seven league fixtures after missing a considerable chunk of action earlier this season due to a hamstring injury.

Gibbs-White was unavailable for his side’s clashes with Derby County, Preston North End, Luton Town, Peterborough United and Birmingham City before returning to action in their 2-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion last month.

After making four consecutive starts for the club, the midfielder was brought on in the second-half of last weekend’s defeat to Millwall.

The Blades will be looking to bounce back from this setback when they host Nottingham Forest tomorrow at Bramall Lane.

United will move back up to fifth in the Championship standings if they seal all three points in this fixture.

Ahead of his side’s meeting with Forest, Heckingbottom has shared an update on the situation that Gibbs-White and Berge currently find themselves in.

Asked in his pre-match press conference (as cited by Yorkshire Live) about whether this duo are getting closer to being able to place every match for the club, Heckingbottom said: “I’m hoping they are.

“Morgan I am not worried about because he has a history of doing that and was only out six weeks but Sander over the last couple of years has had his own problems and we want to do right by him because he will be an important player for us between now and the end of the season.”

The Verdict

When you consider that both of these players have produced excellent performances in the Championship during the current