Sheffield United are hoping for the best over Rhys Norrington-Davies after the defender’s latest injury blow marred their victory at Luton Town yesterday. The Welsh international made way just moments into the game after damaging a hamstring and appeared distraught as he was led slowly to the dressing rooms for further assessment.
The 24-year-old only made his return six weeks ago after a hellish 14-month absence with a serious hamstring injury that threatened his career. The issue he suffered at Luton, which saw him immediately signal to the bench that he couldn’t continue, was to the other leg but it is still a major concern for United and for the player, who covered his head with a jacket as he was helped around the pitch by medical staff.
His plight didn’t prevent boos and slurs from sections of the Kenilworth Road support, who took bizarre exception to an interview Norrington-Davies gave after he joined Stoke following the termination of his loan spell at Luton back in early 2021. The incident appeared more than a little classless, especially for a fanbase who have recently experienced human trauma of their own through skipper Tom Lockyer’s on-field collapse earlier this season.
Wilder was quick to insist that he was not comparing the two incidents, with Norrington-Davies’ fellow Welsh international Lockyer suffering a cardiac arrest at Bournemouth in mid-December. But the Blades boss did say on the incident: “If they knew the story, any normal human being that loves their football maybe didn’t realise that the boy’s been out for over a year, with what could have been a career-ending injury. He’s had to overcome that, away from the lights.
“We’re not comparing anything but the boy’s been out for over a year. First of all he’s got himself back to being a professional footballer. Second, he’s got himself back on the grass and third, he’s got himself back in the team. He’s just looking for a little bit of luck to get his career back up and running. It’s a huge setback for him and us. We’ll assess it when we get back to Sheffield.”
Ben Brereton Diaz also missed out at Luton with a hamstring issue while hopes of Oli McBurnie recovering from the tight calf that kept him out against Aston Villa last weekend were dashed when his name also failed to appear on the teamsheet. Asked if either of them were close to making the trip to Luton, Wilder admitted: “No. They’ve been out all week. That’s an ongoing one for them and we’ll reassess what happens on Monday.
“It’s another big blow for us. Ben’s been outstanding since he came to the football club and Oli’s a figurehead of the team. One that has got Premier League experience and one that we are missing at the moment.”
