Sheffield United: Chris Wilder confirms if Gus Hamer & Ollie Arblaster will be fit to play Sheffield Wednesday | OneFootball

Chris Wilder has given an update on Gus Hamer & Ollie Arblaster's availability

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has provided an update on whether Gus Hamer and Ollie Arblaster will be fit to face Sheffield Wednesday in the Steel City derby later this month.

The Blades have suffered somewhat of a relapse in recent times, as they looked to have gotten over their early-season slump with successive victories over Watford and Blackburn Rovers.

However, defeat in their next three matches meant that they became the first team in Championship history to lose 11 of their first 14 matches, though the Bramall Lane faithful remain hopeful that Wilder can guide the side away from relegation bother.

United sit 23rd in the second-tier after 14 matches and are four points adrift of safety, with just a Sheffield Wednesday side in administration below them. If the Owls hadn’t received an automatic 12-point penalty for being placed into an administrative state, Wilder’s side would be a single point above last place.

Next up for the Blades is a trip to face QPR, before domestic football takes a backseat for the November international break. Although their visit to Loftus Road will be of the utmost importance, Wilder and Co. will already have a keen eye on what is to come after that clash.

Chris Wilder confirms Gus Hamer, Ollie Arblaster’s Sheffield United availability for Sheffield Wednesday clash

After the international break, the Steel City derby will be contested at Hillsborough.

Given how poorly United have performed this season and the backdrop of ownership issues Wednesday have suffered, there is likely to be an extra element to the latest rendition of this heated contest.

Naturally, both sides will want to be operating close to full strength, which means there is a keen interest in whether some of United’s players who are currently injured can recover enough to feature.

As per BBC Radio Sheffield reporter Andy Giddings, star man Gus Hamer will return to training on Monday, having been out of action since early October with a knee problem.

Ollie Arblaster is also expected to be back in action for the Wednesday clash, which would mark his first appearance since November 2024, when he suffered an ACL injury in the Steel City derby.

Arblaster played a crucial role in Wilder’s midfield before the injury, whilst Hamer was named as last season’s Championship Player of the Year.

Gus Hamer and Ollie Arblaster return will be a huge boost for Sheffield United

Whilst Wednesday’s relegation to League One looks almost set in stone, United still have it all to play for during the remainder of this term.

The Blades have improved under Wilder when compared to the dreadful performances they produced throughout Ruben Selles' ill-fated reign, but they clearly still lack the consistency and confidence to score points regularly.

Adding Hamer and Arblaster back into the squad will be a huge boost for everyone involved with the club and automatically increase their chances of victory in the Steel City derby.

When these two are playing at their best, they are some of the Championship’s best operators in their respective positions. Therefore, this increase in quality could be too much for Henrik Pedersen’s side to contain.