Sheffield United news: Injury headache for Paul Heckingbottom as Blades boss slams soft fouls
- Planet Sport writer
- 29 September 2022
Bosnia and Herzegovina international Anel Ahmedhodzic will miss Sheffield United’s clash with Birmingham with a thigh injury.
The defender was injured ahead of the international break, pulling out of Bosnia's Nations League fixtures, and is expected to be sidelined for at least another two weeks.
Ciaran Clark (hamstring), Jack Robinson (knee), Enda Stevens (calf) and Ben Osborn remain sidelined for Paul Heckingbottom's side.
Full-back Jayden Bogle has resumed training having been out since suffering a knee injury in February and, along with striker Billy Sharp (ankle), played for the Under-21s against Hull on Tuesday.
Despite injury worries, Heckingbottom has slammed soft fouls in the game. He told the Sheffield Star: "Is it the refs' fault? I don't know.
"There's so much shirt pulling and everyone can see it, but we're giving free-kicks when players feel a push and go down.
"We got one at Swansea when Bash [Chris Basham] went down in front of us. It's not a foul. They're the things we want to get out of the game.
"Cheating's the wrong word but people are buying cheap free-kicks. That's what I thought the changes were for. A shirt pull is still a foul, a bad tackle is still a bad tackle. A red card, a yellow card or whatever.
"But I thought minimal contact is what we were trying to get out of the game. It's killing the game.
"We're delivering something that isn't right, we're rewarding people for going to ground too easily, when we said we weren't going to."
United's opponents also have injury issues ahead of the game. Birmingham will continue to be without Marc Roberts for the trip to Bramall Lane.
The defender suffered a hamstring injury in the win at West Brom earlier this month.
But midfielder Gary Gardner could return for the Blues having recovered from a calf issue.
Left-back George Friend and winger Przemyslaw Placheta (shin) are out but defender Harlee Dean (calf) is closing in on fitness.
