Paul Heckingbottom provides a number of Sheffield United injury updates ahead of QPR clash

Paul Heckingbottom provided key fitness updates on a number of his Sheffield United players ahead of the visit of the QPR on Tuesday evening. Since taking over in the technical area at Bramall Lane, he has been really unfortunate with injuries and will be desperate to have some of the absentees back before the end of the season.

Billy Sharp was one of those who missed out at Stoke on Saturday after sustaining a hamstring injury against Barnsley. Heckingbottom confirmed that he would not be available to face QPR but added that Oli McBurnie is likely to return to the team.

“Bill will be out. He wasn’t ready the other day so it’s just a case of playing it by ear, we’ll be led by the medics and led by how Bill responds to his training,” his manager told the media on Monday.

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“When they’re muscle injuries, it’s different. When you know someone can’t be 100% and if you keep putting them out there, chances are it’s going to get worse and we’ve got to get him to 100%. But Oli [will be back], he was training today.”

It is in the heart of the defence where the injury problems have really affected the Blades this season as John Egan has regularly had different wide centre backs next to him. Chris Basham has not played since mid-February while Jack O’Connell is still enduring his injury nightmare having last played for United in September 2020.

The former won’t be available against QPR but Heckingbottom is hoping to have him back for the last few games of the campaign. He said: “I’ll be disappointed if he’s not [back before the end of the season]. He’s progressing as we’d expect and obviously he’s really positive.

“I think the other strength