Footage emerges of tough Ollie Arblaster situation at Sheffield United | OneFootball

Ollie Arblaster has taken his first steps on the long road to ACL recovery at Sheffield United's Shirecliffe training ground.

After Ollie Arblaster was forced off injured during Sheffield United's 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the Steel City derby, new footage has emerged outlining the recovery process at United’s Shirecliffe training base.

The young midfielder ruptured his ACL in Sheffield United's last match against their city rivals. He received extensive on-pitch treatment before initially returning to the field but did not reappear after the break.

He was taken off at half-time after trying to play on, which was a decision that manager Chris Wilder revealed after the game was not one that Arblaster took lightly, and he had surgery on his injury over the international break to correct the issue.

That was after a scan in the following days revealed knee ligament damage which will keep Arblaster out for the long-term, with real doubt at this stage over when he will return. The Star revealed recently that the surgery could see him out for the rest of the campaign.

Ollie Arblaster footage of ACL recovery emerges

Of course, in 2024, sports science advancements mean that the chances of recovering from such knee issues have improved dramatically in recent years, which will give Arblaster a degree of hope, however daunting the upcoming months may seem right now for the 20-year-old.

That said, he is facing a gruelling rehabilitation process as he looks to get back on the pitch as soon as possible. He also will not be rushed by the Blades' experienced medical staff or Wilder himself, who are working with Arblaster in the early stages of his recovery.

The club have released part one of the 'Arblaster's Road to Recovery' series yesterday, where Arblaster is shown walking on crutches and eating with his teammates before seeing them make their way to the training pitches as he moves to the Sheffield United treatment room to start the rehab process.

There are even some clips which show tentative first steps taken in the gym. However, most of the work is centred around extending and relaxing his leg. In the video, Arblaster shows obvious signs of discomfort as his damaged right knee is bent and he explains feeling some slight pain in the night in the early stages of his recovery process.

You can watch the full video on YouTube below:

January planning for Sheffield United without Ollie Arblaster

It's an extremely tough blow to take for Sheffield United, and with the January transfer window coming up in just over a month, there could be a lot of action at Bramall Lane if they seek to find a replacement for the 20-year-old.

Despite the fact Arblaster's injury came as a huge shock and blow at Bramall Lane, and despite Sydie Peck impressing, bringing in players with more Championship experience in the middle of the park should be high up on Wilder's January list.

The Sun revealed on Sunday that the Blades are eyeing up a move for Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton in January. The 22-year-old is a player comfortable under pressure and at progressing the ball up field from the base of midfield, while he has plenty of experience from loan spells at Blackburn Rovers and Hull City.

There are also options within the squad at Wilder's disposal, too. Regularly a central-midfielder, Gus Hamer has been deployed off both wings by Wilder this season, but his original, and arguably best, position was that of a central player capable of locking down the middle of the park and opening up play.

Wilder once again turned to Tom Davies from the bench in last weekend's win against Sunderland, and it was a decision that paid off, as he battled to force his way past the visitors' defence before firing past Anthony Patterson to spark wild celebrations at Bramall Lane.

However, a signing is certainly something that they should be considering next month to bolster Sheffield United's ranks in the hunt for automatic promotion.