Chris Wilder drops reveal on Tom Davies' Sheffield United return | OneFootball

Tom Davies has certainly had a tough time at Bramall Lane since his move last summer, but he could now be closing in on a return

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has revealed he hopes to have midfielder Tom Davies back after the November international break.

Davies swapped Merseyside for Yorkshire in the summer of 2023, it's fair to say his time with the Blades hasn't exactly gone according to plan.

An injury-ravaged tenure so far in South Yorkshire has scuppered any plans he may have had of not only kicking his own career on but also helping Sheffield United beat the Premier League drop, as he was no more than a spectator for most of last season's relegation campaign.

Things this season are at least a lot more positive for the club, who are firmly in the automatic promotion race, but for Davies, his injury hell isn't yet over as he hasn't kicked a ball this season.

That's had an adverse effect off the pitch for Davies, who recently opened up about the mental health struggles he faced while sitting on the sidelines, so he'll be delighted to know his return to action is getting nearer.

The former Everton man hasn't kicked a ball in anger since early March, with a reoccurring hamstring issue wreaking havoc on his career.

But he's closing in on getting another crack at the whip where Sheffield United are concerned, with a return to action drawing ever closer.

Chris Wilder can't wait to have Davies back

Sheffield United's promotion push is ticking along nicely with Wilder at the helm but he spoke in midweek about how important his squad will be this season.

That makes Davies' return a timely one, though Wilder revealed the Blades fans will have to wait just a little longer to see Davies run out at Bramall Lane as they continue to manage his recovery.

"It's too early for him to be involved in the (first-team) squad but he gets another chance to stick some more valuable minutes under his belt for the Under-21s on Tuesday," said Wilder.

"I would imagine he'll be available after the international break for selection, which is a big boost for us and for Tom."

Wilder couldn't speak highly enough of Davies, who during his injury lay-off, has taken time to prepare for life after football by starting up a business.

The Sheffield United boss still believes he has plenty to offer on the pitch at the moment though, claiming that Davies will be "absolutely delighted when he's back in contention and pushing and being part of the group".

He added: "His experience will be vital to us.”

Davies will have his work cut out to gain a starting spot

Despite Wilder's claim that Davies is a "Premier League player", getting back into the Blades side might not be so easy, in part due to the emergence of Ollie Arblaster and the form of Vini Souza.

That duo appears to be Wilder's preferred midfield pairing when available and Davies will undoubtedly find it tough to come back into the side and break that pairing up.

Simply staying fit will be an issue too for a man who hasn't played a full 90 minutes of league football since August 2022.

Incredibly, you'd have to go back to the end of the 2019/20 season for the last time Davies strung together a run of more than six appearances in a row within the same campaign, which would suggest even once he's back in the first team fold, his fitness will need to be constantly managed.