Both Managers Reveal Plans For Sheffield United vs Cardiff City as Wilder Confirms Injury News | OneFootball

Sheffield United host Cardiff City on Thursday night in the FA Cup third round. This game will provide some much-needed rest for United having been battling through injury and illnesses for the last four or five weeks.

During that time, Sheffield United have suffered a season-ending injury to Harry Souttar, a recurring hamstring issue with Vinicius Souza, niggling injuries to both Femi Seriki and Tyrese Campbell, whilst Jesurun Rak-Sakyi has been dealing with both illness and a hamstring issue.

During the Blades’ recent 2-1 victory over Watford, Gustavo Hamer was the latest player to be injured. However, after worries of a hamstring injury, Chris Wilder has now confirmed that the Dutch midfielder is okay.

Chris Wilder Reveals Plans For FA Cup Clash Against Cardiff

Speaking ahead of the Blades’ FA Cup tie against Cardiff, Wilder provided an update on Gustavo Hamer, and striker Kieffer Moore, who missed the Watford match due to illness. The manager revealed that Moore’s availability remains uncertain as he continues to recover.

“Gus is okay, so we’re delighted,” Wilder said. “Kieffer, I think he’ll be touch and go. He lost half a stone. I think quite a lot of people would like to do that after Christmas, but not in those circumstances. We’re monitoring him, and we’ll see how he feels closer to the game.”

Wilder acknowledged the demanding festive schedule has left some senior players fatigued, highlighting the need to manage workloads carefully. He identified several squad members, including Tom Davies and Callum O’Hare, as being in the “red zone” and hinted at squad rotation for the Cardiff game.

Wilder emphasised his desire to win the FA Cup game but confirmed there will be changes to the lineup, including opportunities for younger players. “I don’t want to kid anyone, because we’re of a mindset at this club that we want to win every game of football we take part in. U21s, U18s, pre-season, we have to have that,” he said.

“This is going to be a changed team. I spoke to the owners and Stephen Bettis about it. Our priority is doing well in our division, and we are doing that at the moment. I can’t afford anyone to suffer in the medium to long-term. There’ll be opportunities for a lot of the kids.”

CARDIFF, WALES – DECEMBER 11: Omer Riza, Interim Manager of Cardiff City, looks dejected after the team’s defeat following the Sky Bet Championship match between Cardiff City FC and Preston North End FC at Cardiff City Stadium on December 11, 2024 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Cardiff City to Change Side vs Sheffield United

Cardiff City also plans to use the fixture to rotate their squad, according to manager Omer Riza. Riza expressed in his press conference the importance of taking the competition seriously while offering opportunities to fringe players and youngsters ready to step up.

“The approach is the same all the time,” Riza stated. “We have to prepare properly to get the best result we can.

“I’ve been involved in this competition throughout my career, and you always want to go as far as possible. This is an opportunity for players who haven’t had as many minutes, as well as youngsters who are ready to play.

“We’ll approach the game seriously as we want to win it,” Riza concluded. “It’ll be two teams competing to progress. We won’t just throw players in for the sake of it; we’ll ensure they’re ready to perform.”