Injury and suspension blows for Sheffield United as key man faces two-match ban after Burnley red

Sheffield United's season went from bad to worse in a disastrous first 45 minutes away at Burnley this afternoon. The Blades went 2-0 down to the Premier League's bottom club at the break, having already lost two key players to injury and suspension.

United needed to start strongly after last weekend's poor showing at home to Bournemouth and had the luxury of facing a side also in a rut, with Burnley losing their last seven games in all competitions and all seven of their home games since winning promotion alongside United last season.

But you wouldn't have guessed it from the start, with the home side taking the lead inside 15 seconds when Jay Rodriguez headed home before any United player had had a genuine touch of the ball. United then lost George Baldock to injury midway through the half, the wing-back dropping to the turf and receiving treatment to his right leg before making way for Jayden Bogle.

Baldock must now be a doubt for United's next game, at home to Liverpool on Wednesday, and they will certainly be without Oli McBurnie for that clash after he was sent off for the second time this season after twice clashing with Dara O'Shea in the air, and picking up two bookings.

McBurnie will also miss the weekend clash with Brentford because the red card was his second of the season, having also been sent off for two bookings away at Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the season. That will represent a major blow to both Paul Heckingbottom and the player, who has just returned from a month out with injury but now faces another spell on the sidelines after being the first player in the Premier League this season to be sent off twice.