Sheffield United: Chris Wilder predicts talks with Liverpool over Ben Woodburn's future after admitting loanee could still have a future at Bramall Lane

Chris Wilder has refused to rule out the possibility of Ben Woodburn still proving a success at Sheffield United '“ despite admitting talks may be held with his parent club Liverpool over an early termination of the Welsh international's loan deal.
Billy Sharp and Ben Woodburn, right: Simon Bellis/SportimageBilly Sharp and Ben Woodburn, right: Simon Bellis/Sportimage
Billy Sharp and Ben Woodburn, right: Simon Bellis/Sportimage

Woodburn hasn't featured for United since November 3's defeat at Nottingham Forest, which saw him come off the bench for a rare ten-minute cameo.

And Wilder, speaking at his pre-match media briefing before tomorrow's trip to Brentford, admitted: 'The loan hasn't gone as well as Ben and us would have liked, for various reasons '“ including the form of Mark Duffy, who's probably in the best form of his career, and the team as a whole.

Billy Sharp and Ben Woodburn, right: Simon Bellis/SportimageBilly Sharp and Ben Woodburn, right: Simon Bellis/Sportimage
Billy Sharp and Ben Woodburn, right: Simon Bellis/Sportimage
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'It's Ben's first loan out, too, so there are a lot of things to factor in. There'll be a discussion between us and Liverpool about the best thing for Ben, whether he stays here or not, but there's still six months to go and he's still with us. So we'll see where we are in January.'

Woodburn caught the eye in a 90-minute run out for Liverpool's U23 side at Goodison Park on Sunday, when they beat local rivals Everton 1-0.

'We knew about the game and had someone there to monitor him,' Wilder added.

'We thought it would be good for him to go and get 90 minutes after coming back from Wales duty, and he was excellent.

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'Will he play a part for us between now and January? Who knows. Different things can always happen. Does Duff get injured or do we change it up, or does Ben get an opportunity and grab it with both hands? We're hoping that's what happens.'

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