Tom Davies Returns for Sheffield United at Preston; Hamer Still Sidelined
Tom Davies is set to make his return for Sheffield United when they face Preston North End on Friday, while Gustavo Hamer remains unavailable for the trip to Deepdale. Meanwhile, Oli Arblaster is on track to feature in next month’s Steel City derby against Sheffield Wednesday.
The Blades make another journey across the Pennines for their second Championship clash in just a few days, following Tuesday’s comeback 2–1 victory over Blackburn Rovers. With games coming thick and fast, manager Chris Wilder will be carefully rotating his squad — making the return of Davies’ experience and composure a timely boost.
The former Everton midfielder has endured a frustrating, injury-plagued spell at Bramall Lane, featuring only twice this season.
“There’s definitely an opportunity for Tom to be involved, which is great news for us,” Wilder said. “I’ve been delighted with Djibril Soumare and Jairo Riedewald’s recent performances, and now that area of the pitch looks much healthier with Tom back. We’ve seen glimpses of his quality this season — especially in that 60-minute display against Southampton — and it’s a shame injuries stopped him building on that.”
Wilder also praised the positive atmosphere around the squad, highlighting the value of senior figures like Ben Mee, Danny Ings, and Chie Ogbene alongside Davies’ return. Davies had missed the start of the campaign due to a calf problem he aggravated after facing Southampton and Hull City.
As for Gustavo Hamer, the midfielder remains sidelined with a knee injury that’s kept him out of the last two games.
“He won’t make this weekend,” Wilder confirmed. “We’ll assess him ahead of next week’s fixtures — it’s another busy run with Derby, Coventry, and QPR before the international break. He’s tough, rarely misses training or matches, so we’ll give him every chance. He’s out of the brace now and working hard, which is great to see.”
Wilder stressed Hamer’s importance but also noted that the team’s recent results show they’re not reliant on one player.
“It didn’t look great when he was in the brace, but he’s recovering well. He’s a massive player for us, but I think everyone can see from the last two games that we’re not a one-man team.”
Finally, there’s encouraging news regarding Oli Arblaster, who has been sidelined since suffering an ACL injury against Sheffield Wednesday last November. The young midfielder is nearing a return and could make his comeback when the two clubs meet again at Hillsborough on November 23.
“Oli’s back in training and could be available for the Sheffield Wednesday game,” Wilder revealed. “He’s going through a mini pre-season after such a long spell out, but his progress has been excellent.”
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