More promising Sheffield United starlets set to follow Oliver Arblaster path as Chris Wilder looks to future

Sheffield United’s promising youngsters have been placed on standby for a dream Premier League chance in the last few games of this season, with the injury-hit Blades on the brink of relegation. United will be condemned to the Championship if they lose at Newcastle this weekend, after a torrid campaign following promotion a year ago.

One of the few positives to emerge from the season has been the recent emergence of Oliver Arblaster, the 20-year-old academy product who captained United at Old Trafford on Wednesday - on just his seventh Premier League start - but he is far from the only talented youngster on United’s books. Andre Brooks and Will Osula have also enjoyed some top-flight game time, while United’s U21 side returned to the top of their division this week with victory at home to city rivals Wednesday.

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Ryan Oné and Louie Marsh were on the scoresheet in that victory, while midfielder Owen Hampson was on the bench against Manchester United in midweek. And after some more bad news on the injury front, with striker Oli McBurnie ruled out for the rest of the season and James McAtee a doubt for the trip to St. James’ Park, Wilder will not hesitate to give some more youth players a taste of first-team experience in the coming games - especially when United are officially relegated - with one eye very much on the future.

"We're not blessed at the moment in terms of strength,” Wilder admitted. “But yet again it will open up for a couple of younger boys, who were absolutely outstanding in the under-21 derby last night, to maybe be involved in the squad and get them the taste and the feel of being involved in the environment of a first-team game in the Premier League.

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"There's nowhere better to go than up the road [to Newcastle] in terms of the atmosphere and vibrancy and all the emotion attached to that game. Last night I'm looking and I'm going: 'Wow’. We've talked about Blaster, Brooks, Jebbison and Osula and we can start talking about these youngsters now.

"I'm not putting pressure on because they can handle it because of the way they've been nurtured and brought, which has been outstanding in the academy working with the ex-pros, Del Geary, Micky Collins and the boys in there. From an attitude and a talent point of view, we're really in a good place and looking forward to them developing as well.

"So maybe part of the next three or four games will see the introduction of those boys being involved. We have to be careful we don't break them as well, they don't have incredibly poor experiences, so the timing has got to be good. But them being around the first team will be good and I'm looking forward to them being involved in the last few games of the season.”