Ex Swansea City player Oli McBurnie is expected to start the game this afternoon at Bramall Lane with both Swansea City and Sheffield United reporting pre match injuries.

The details of the injury surrounding new swans signing Nathanael Ogbeta are insufficient in detail to comment fully. However, Ogbeta was substituted in his last game for Shrewsbury Town before signing for the swans. That injury was exacerbated in his first training session, and it’s clear he has a few weeks to go before being considered fit. As we already knew Kyle Naughton is also out but could be in contention for a game next week against either Bournemouth at home on Tuesday ( KO 7.45pm) or West Bromwich Albion the following Monday night ((KO 8pm ) Martin is of course disappointed stating “Kyle would love to be back for this one, we would love him to be back for this one with it being his home town ” said Martin, who will also be without Nathanael Ogbeta due to a hamstring complaint. “But it’s a game too early for him.”

Russell Martin is very keen to see his side take on one of the leagues form teams. “What an exciting challenge for us. You have to embrace the opportunity. We’ve shown on our day we can be a really good team. A team I think who are in the best form in the league [Sheff Utd] it’s a real chance for us to grow and see what we’re capable of. There’s no fear. A lot of people outside won’t expect to get too much, but we will. That’s the mentality we’ll have”

It’s a fair comment but many swans fans have that Stoke City defeat fresh in the memory the last time they ventured out of Wales. Plus the expected news of Luke Williams leaving the club for ‘personal reasons’ after being absent for nine days or so means that Martin’s trusted right hand man will no longer be a feature at Swansea City. Matt Gill is expected to step up as first team assistant manager for now. It’s a huge blow for Russell Martin, Williams hasn’t left the club to take up a position elsewhere as far as we know so rumour and speculation continues to circulate.

Sheffield United are still without Ben Osborn and Enda Stevens, while strikers Rhian Brewster and David McGoldrick are also facing lengthy absences. An old head is expected to return in Billy Sharp with Oli McBurnie and Daniel Jebison also hoping to partner him up front.

Arsenal youngster Sydie Peck was signed by the blades last year and has since impressed at under eighteen and twenty three levels. He trained with the first team this week and could push for a place on the bench. He scored what can be described as a ‘memorable goal’ earlier on this season from the half way line. His debut isn’t far away. Manager Paul Heckingbottom is seen as one of the new breed of managers with a glossary of terms any football manager would be proud of. He is forty four and having served his managerial time at Barnsley, Leeds and Hibernian he was somewhat thrust in to his current role this season after starting out as the clubs under 23 coach in July last year. Heckingbottom has though steadied the ship and has elevated the blades in to a positive position. As he says this is his ‘strategic vision’ for the blades this season.

Having said all that he was sacked from his positions at Leeds and Hibs, the former so Marcelo Bielsa could take charge at Elland Road. Russell Martin is right that today little is expected from his team, that is away from the team itself. They go to a ground which will no doubt again have in excess of 25,000 fans expecting a win. There will again be a healthy following supporting the swans, and of course as ever our match day thread will contain all the reaction as the day pans out.

Photographs licensed from Reuters

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