Chris Wilder and Ollie Arblaster break silence on major Sheffield United injury blow | OneFootball

Ollie Arblaster is set to be out of action for the foreseeable future after suffering an ACL injury

Sheffield United star Ollie Arblaster has broken his silence after rupturing his ACL during his side's 1-0 Steel City derby victory before the international break, while Chris Wilder has also revealed his thoughts.

The Blades kept the bragging rights at Bramall Lane in the first cross-Sheffield meeting in five years when Tyrese Campbell struck home shortly after the interval to secure a slender 1-0 victory, sending the Blades up to second place in the Championship and level on points with league leaders Sunderland.

However, the afternoon didn't play out perfectly for United, who appear to have since lost their captain for the remainder of the campaign in the process. Arblaster, a boyhood Blade, sustained ligament damage during the first half of the showdown.

The 20-year-old tried to play through the pain barrier, leaving Wilder to "drag the captain's armband off" a "devastated" Arblaster. It was initially revealed on Friday morning by The Star that the midfielder had undergone an operation to correct the knee ligament damage that had been sustained, leading to real doubt about whether he will be able to play again this season.

It's an undoubted blow to United's promotion hopes and the feeling very much seems to be that they will have to make do without him until next term. Their first test in his absence will come tomorrow when they travel to play Coventry City in the lunchtime kickoff before returning to Bramall Lane with a home clash against Oxford United next Tuesday.

Sheffield United's Ollie Arblaster breaks silence following big injury setback

Arblaster issued a message to supporters following his injury, declaring his season "over" after just 15 matches of the current campaign. It's bound to be an agonising blow for the rising star, who broke into the Blades side during the second half of the previous season in the Premier League before being named as captain and establishing himself as an ever-present at Championship level.

The former Port Vale loanee earned a range of plaudits for his early-season displays in the midfield engine room. He led by example and performed outstandingly well, so much so that Gus Hamer - widely considered one of, if not the best central midfielder in the Championship - has spent a lot of the season playing wide-left.

Arblaster wrote via his official Instagram page: "Earlier this week, I underwent successful surgery on my ruptured ACL, an injury I sustained during the game a few weeks ago. Now, it's time for me to focus on my rehabilitation and the long road to recovery-a journey I'm confident will make me stronger and more determined than ever to get back on the pitch.

"Words cannot express how devastated I am that my season is over. It's something I'm still trying to process and come to terms with, but I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. This is just a setback on my journey to reaching my goals in my career.

"Injuries like this are part of the game we love, but I'm fortunate to have an amazing support system of family and friends who will be with me every step of the way, helping me stay mentally strong through the highs and lows ahead.

"Lastly, I'm looking forward to cheering on the boys like I did as a fan, supporting them as they continue this great start to the season. I can't wait to be back doing what I love and playing in front of you, Blades!"

Chris Wilder speaks on Sheffield United's Ollie Arblaster blow

Wilder also addressed Arblaster's long-term blow in his press conference ahead of tomorrow's trip to the West Midlands. The Blades boss has admitted that the youngster will be a miss and that it's a real blow for him on a personal level, although he isn't interested in creating excuses and believes his side need to be resilient in his absence.

Wilder also disclosed that the extensive amount of time in which Arblaster is set to spend on the sidelines will facilitate increased opportunities for Jamie Shackleton and highly-rated young midfielder Sydie Peck, both of whom have been on the fringes of the starting eleven this year.

When quizzed on the injury, Wilder told the Yorkshire Post: "He is obviously not in a great place mentally at the moment. But this is a test for him as a young player.

"For this to happen at this part of his career, he has to get over it and get on with it. As you can imagine, he’ll get all the support from everybody, but there will be a bit of tough love in there as well as he has to use the time diligently.

"But I am never going to have any excuses about anything. These things happen.

"We’ve had Kieffer (Moore) out, Rhian (Brewster) out and Anel (Ahmedhodzic) suspended and we’ve come through that period okay and it’s up to the others to step through that period now.

"Tom Davies is back and Sydie Peck played for the (England) under-20s and it’s an opportunity for him and Jamie Shackleton.

"We are going to miss a good player. But all the clubs are missing players. Leeds United have had their injury problems and other clubs have had. It’s how they get over it and get on with it and not use it as an excuse. We are not reliant on an 19 or 20-year-old boy for our success. It’s the sum of everything we all put together.

"We’ll take it month by month, but he certainly won’t play until after Christmas.