Latest team news for Bramall Lane clash

Last updated : 01 January 2003 By Tony Scholes

Lee Briscoe - unlikely to be fit
There were suggestions from some quarters before the Brighton game that Lee Briscoe could be fit but Stan was shocked at the very though and said he hadn’t travelled. He didn’t give the impression that Brisser had much chance for this game either and all indications are that he will be missing.

Branchy has a hamstring injury but he did travel to the south coast at the weekend and could just come into the reckoning although with the depleted numbers for the cup tie on Saturday he probably won’t be risked this afternoon.

There is thankfully no news of any further injuries and that will almost certainly mean we will start with the same eleven who played the two Christmas games which is,

Marlon Beresford, Dean West, Ian Cox, Arthur Gnohere, Mark McGregor, Glen Little, Paul Weller, Tony Grant, Alan Moore, Robbie Blake, Gareth Taylor.

There is a good chance of a keeper on the bench with Nik back from Palace and the subs will be named from Nik Michopoulos, Gordon Armstrong, Ian Moore, Dimitri Papadopoulos, Matthew O’Neill, Mark Rasmussen and Andrew Waine.

Meanwhile, apart from being 3rd in the table, Sheffield United are celebrating the news that Chairman Derek Dooley has been awarded the MBE in the New Year’s Honours List.

It is a well deserved award for Dooley who has spent his entire working life with the two Sheffield clubs. He played for Wednesday but broke his leg at Deepdale and had to have it amputated. He was later manager at Hillsborough but incredibly during a poor run they sacked him on Christmas Eve.

He has since been at Bramall Lane, initially working as Commercial Manager and eventually becoming Chairman. Congratulations to him, a deserved honour.

His club have nothing like the injury problems facing Burnley but they will be without two players in Rob Ullathorn and Carl Asaba. Ullathorn has been out for some time but Asaba picked up a recen calf strain and failed a fitness test yesterday.

There is also a slight doubt about loan player Jon Harley. Set to play his last game before returning to Fulham he has a hamstring strain but should be declared fit.

One player definitely ruled out is Michael Brown who is serving a one match suspension and with him out the Blades are expected to bring in Nick Montgomery and line up:

Paddy Kenny, Phil Jagielka, Shaun Murphy, Robert Page, Jon Harley, Peter Ndlovu, Stuart McCall, Nick Montgomery, Michael Tonge, Steve Kabba, Wayne Allison.