Sheffield United’s immediate priority is to navigate a demanding run of fixtures while collecting enough points to maintain momentum in the Championship. Chris Wilder’s warning that the squad is stretched makes this objective particularly important, as injuries, fatigue and limited recovery time are testing the team’s depth.

Wilder said the club’s target was to get through the matches up to and including Stoke City, after which players would have time to rest and work together in training. United had recently beaten Blackburn Rovers 2-1, while several players remained unavailable; new signing Jordan Ayew was expected to feature against Wolves, and Kalvin Phillips was continuing to build fitness.