Sheffield United plot changes for their game against Watford

Second in the table and four points clear of Middlesbrough with a game in hand on Michael Carrick’s team, United enter their meeting with the visitors from Hertfordshire on the back of a two match losing streak with one of those coming at the hands of their nearest challengers.

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With Tottenham Hotspur set to travel to Bramall Lane for an FA Cup fifth round tie next week, Heckingbottom plans to utilise the options at his disposal in order to try and steer United into calmer waters. Although those have been reduced by injuries to Billy Sharp, Rhys Norrington-Davies, George Baldock, Enda Stevens and Rhian Brewster, with United’s inability to enter the transfer market last month also preventing Heckingbottom from strengthening at time when many of those around them were doing exactly that, the 45-year-old still believes he has enough to provoke the desired response to recent set-backs.

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“There probably will be changes,” Heckingbottom said. “If we had the whole group fit then we might have changed things a little bit more. We’ve had a full week to prepare for this one but afterwards we go into a period of three midweek games.”

Baldock was scheduled to resume full training yesterday, but the clash with Watford is likely to come too early for him to be involved. Iliman Ndiaye should return to the starting eleven after beginning last weekend’s trip to Millwall on the bench having sustained a knock against Middlesbrough 72 hours earlier.

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