Heckingbottom admits Sheffield United star will be ‘out for a while’ – ‘another big injury for us’ | OneFootball

Paul Heckingbottom arrives for a Premier League match.

Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom has cursed his bad luck after captain John Egan has suffered an injury that will keep him “out for a while”.

The Republic of Ireland centre-half has been ruled “out for a while” after being forced off during last week’s 2-0 defeat away at Premier League rivals West Ham with a foot injury. His head coach also confirmed that he will see a specialist on Friday.

John Fleck and Rhys Norrington-Davies are yet to make an appearance for the Blades this season, while defensive duo George Baldock and Max Lowe are also out injured.

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Heckingbottom, whose side bid for their first win of the season at Fulham on Saturday, said: “He’s out. He’s going to be out for a while. Another one, I don’t know what we’ve done wrong, who we’ve upset, but yes, it’s another big injury for us.

“He’s going to see the specialist tomorrow and then we’ll have more of an idea. He’s going to be out a while.

“It’s a blow. I can’t deny that. We want everyone fit and we’d have the options in the starting XI, we’d have the options from the bench, but we haven’t got that.

“But again, that’s an opportunity for the others and that’s how we have to address it and that will continue to be how we do things.”

Heckingbottom did not disclose “one or two” other injury concerns and said midfielder Tom Davies was also doubtful.

But Heckingbottom has had some recent good news on the injury front following the return to action of striker Rhian Brewster at West Ham.

Brewster, signed from Liverpool for a club record £23.5million in 2020, ended a 12-month lay-off due to a hamstring injury as a 79th-minute substitute at the London Stadium.

“In terms of his mentality, his attitude and how he’s approached things, he’s been top class. He’s been our biggest supporter while he’s been out,” Heckingbottom said.

“We love him as a footballer and we want that quality on the pitch, but we also love him as a person and we want that character and personality around us as well.”

Heckingbottom stressed Brewster, a World Cup winner with England Under-17s in 2017, was not ready to play a full match.

But the Blades boss added: “A fantastic 20 minutes from Rhian may help us get the three points, but he’s not going to be put under any pressure to be carrying out 100 minutes and strain his body again.

“So he’s going to have a real specific role in the short term and gradually he’ll get more confident in his body and more physically able and we’ll get more out of him.”