31st August United have completed the 150,000 pound signing of Colin Kazim-Richards from League One side Brighton. The 20-year-old striker has signed a three-year deal with the Blades after passing a medical and agreeing personal terms. Manager Neil Warnock commented: "We thought that in the circumstances after a couple of our targets fell through, that he will be a good signing. "He's had a stop-start time at Brighton but we`ll give him the chance to improve." Kazim-Richards was signed by Brighton from Bury last summer with the prize money from a competition run by Coca-Cola and won by a Seagulls fan.But he has not always seen eye-to-eye with boss Mark McGhee and slapped in a transfer request after being left out of the starting line-up for the opening game of the season.

31st August Defender David Sommeil has moved a step closer to full fitness after completing 90 minutes for the reserves. Sommeil came through Wednesday's game with Bolton's reserves without any reaction to the ankle injury sustained in pre-season. He said: "I'm a little bit short on fitness but getting 90 minutes at Bolton was a big plus for me. "It was very good and I feel ok. I need games to get fit and need to improve my fitness between now and the Blackburn game. The international game is ideal for me to do that."

29th August Striker Rob Hulse says United will not lose confidence despite recent defeats. Commenting about the poor start to the season, he said: "It is disappointing to lose, we set our stall out but we have been beaten by a quality free-kick and that's what happens in this division. The standard of the opposition is different and we are getting used to it. "We played well against Liverpool, did OK in the second half at Tottenham and gave a good account of ourselves at Fulham, although we want to create more chances and give ourselves a better opportunity to try and get something out of the game. "I thought the game was pretty even throughout, apart from the free-kick. Towards the end we were pushing - we didn't get anything but it is not a major crisis. "We've only played three games, none of the lads are losing confidence, we just need to wise up to the Premiership soon."

28th August Neil Warnock was disappointed with some of the proceedings at Craven Cottage in United's 1-0 defeat against Fulham. After the match the Blades manager gave his verdict to the BBC. He commented: "I thought Fulham wasted 10 or 15 minutes and we only played an extra five - we have to learn from that. "I'm disappointed with the free-kick which led to their goal. It was never a free-kick. It was a fabulous finish but never a free-kick. "I told referee Graham Poll it was never a free-kick in a million years."

26th August Fulham 1 Sheffield United 0 (Attendance: 18,362)
Blades Line-up: Kenny, Bromby (Sommeil 80), Morgan, Jagielka, Unsworth, Montgomery (Nade 64), Tonge (Alan Quinn 72), Leigertwood, Armstrong, Hulse, Webber.
Subs Not Used: Bennett, Akinbiyi.

Booked: Tonge 51, Leigertwood 54, Alan Quinn 83.

Man of the Match: Phil Jagielka

Fulham Line-up: Niemi, Rosenior, Christanval, Pearce, Queudrue, Brown (Radzinski 68), Diop, Bullard, Boa Morte, John (Helguson 67), McBride.
Subs Not Used: Drobny, Volz, Bocanegra.
Booked: Diop 66, Helguson 80, Bullard 90.

Scorer: Bullard 40.

United suffered their second defeat in a week today as they went down 0-1 against Fulham at Craven Cottage. The Blades had set off to London with the determination to go all out for a victory, and they started well early on. But eventually they were worn down and Fulham deserved their win. Neil Warnock made three changes from midweek and moved Phil Jagielka into a central defensive role along side Chris Morgan , with Mikele Leigertwood and Nick Montgomery staring in the midfield. Fulham brought Collins John back into the team in place of Heidar Helguson. And, it was a special occasion for former Lane favourite Michael Brown, who lined up against his former side. Fulham started with early intent when midfielder Jimmy Bullard was given space on the right flank on 8 minutes, and worked the ball inside to fire a left footed shot on target. Blades goalkeeper Paddy Kenny seemed to deal with the shot with difficulty, and pushed it over the bar. United were having the better possession in attack. Whilst Fulham looked to retain possession in the middle third of the pitch, often working the ball back and forth along the midfield three of Brown, Jimmy Bullard and Papa Bouba Diop, looking for an opportunity to spring forward. However, with the Blades looking to pack out the space in front of their penalty area, long range shooting was the order of the day for Fulham, and the impressive Bullard in particular was trying his luck on several occasions. Fulham came close to taking the lead after 24 minutes, when a long clearance towards United’s goal was headed backwards by Morgan while under pressure. The ball landed at Collins John’s feet and he managed to hold off Jagielka inside the area, and fired a low shot which evaded Kenny and bounced back off the post. Kenny had told the United staff he was feeling unwell during the match but without a replacement keeper on the bench, he had to continue. Fulham took the lead in the 40th minute, and it was the Bullard who took centre stage with a well struck free kick after Brian McBride was deemed to have been fouled on the edge of the area. Referee Graham Poll awarding a highly debatable free kick for an innocuous challenge by Morgan. What the Blades defender had actually done wrong is hard to see. But Poll never fails with his unexplainable decisions, so we might have guessed something was afoot and of course it was going to be awarded against United. Fulham started the second half brightly and could have caused the Blades significant problems had Liam Rosenior been able to deliver a more telling ball into the area. There then followed a sequence of substitutions for United with Christian Nade replacing Montgomery and Alan Quinn on for Michael Tonge. Michael Brown’s participation in the game also ended when he was replaced by Tomasz Radzinski for Fulham. The change looked to have affected the makeup of the battle for midfield supremacy, and Fulham now looking a more threatening unit going forward, but United still looked more competitive in the middle of the park. United recorded their first shot in target in the second half in the 77th minute. It started when Quinn made a surging run along the left flank before crossing, The versatile Ian Pearce cleared the ball, but straight to Leigertwood, and the Blades midfielder tested Fulham keeper Antti Niemi with a long range dipping volley.

Fulham soon hit back on the counter attack when David Unsworth lost possession to Bullard in the centre of the field, he set Radzinski free on the right hand side, and the striker sprinted goalwards but fortunately his pass to Boa Morte in the Blades area was at an awkward height for the striker. The attack momentarily lost pace as the ball rolled back to the edge of the penalty area only for Bullard to approach at speed and launch a blistering shot against the post resulting in a massive rebound - such was the force of the strike. And the danger was far from over for United, as the ball then fell to McBride who forced Kenny into making a low save at his right hand post. With United desperately pushing for the equaliser, Fulham’s change to a more attacking midfield was reaping dividends with the Blades getting worryingly caught out too easily at the back. With only minutes remaining, McBride was set free by Boa Morte on the right with United completely caught out; he just dragged his shot wide while under pressure from Jagielka. So United are still without a win and finish the weekend in 19th position in the Premiership. United lacked nothing in effort but were again missing a cutting edge.

26th August Neil Warnock will face one of his former clubs in the second round of the League Cup, after Sheffield United were drawn to play Bury at The Lane. Bury reached the second round after a shock 2-0 win over Sunderland on Tuesday. The tie will be played on September 19.

25th August Rob Hulse is hoping to recover from a thigh strain for United, and if he does so, he will partner Danny Webber with Ade Akinbiyi dropping out. Paul Ifill (illness), Derek Geary (groin), Steven Kabba (groin) and Claude Davis (knee) are all still out. This will be Neil Warnock's 350th competitive match in charge of the Blades, who are still seeking a first victory of the season. Fulham are set to name an unchanged side, with Denmark midfielder Claus Jensen still out with a calf injury. Simon Elliott (calf), Mark Pembridge (Achilles) and Mark Crossley (back) are also unavailable through injury.

23rd August Manager Neil Warnock will be glad to be back on the touchline when his side take on Fulham at Craven Cottage. Warnock has been forced to watch his side's first two games from the stands after being handed a touchline ban last season and has been frustrated with having to communicate with his assistant Stuart McCall. He said: "It's been very frustrating watching from the stands. "In the first game, when Liverpool scored the penalty four or five of the lads' heads went down and I was trying to buzz Stuart [McCall] to motivate them. "But there were a few occasions when we couldn't hear each other through the device. I'm glad I'm back on the touchline on Saturday."

22nd August Tottenham Hotspur 2 Sheffield United 0 (Attendance: 35,287)
Blades Line-up: Kenny, Sommeil (Montgomery 60), Bromby, Morgan, Unsworth (Nade 61), Gillespie (Alan Quinn 80), Jagielka, Tonge, Armstrong, Akinbiyi, Webber.

Subs Not Used: Kozluk, Leigertwood.
Booked: Bromby 64.
Man of the Match: Paddy Kenny.

Tottenham Line-up: Robinson, Assou-Ekotto, Dawson, Davenport, Lee, Lennon, Jenas, Tainio (Zokora 69), Davids, Berbatov, Keane (Defoe 82).
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Stalteri, Gardner.

Scorers: Berbatov 7, Jenas 17.

First-half goals from Berbatov and Jermaine Jenas proved to be enough to secure Tottenham a first win of the new campaign as United suffered their first loss in the Premiership this season. It was a victory orchestrated by the outstanding talents of Robbie Keane and winger Aaron Lennon as the Blades succumbed to the full onslaught of a Spurs side in irresistible form. United had promised to give Spurs more of the same tough-tackling treatment they had experienced at Bolton but their pretensions had been hampered by the loss of thre players. Injuries to Rob Hulse and Derek Geary, plus Paul Ifill's illness, gave chances to David Sommeil, Keith Gillespie and Ade Akinbiyi. The night began badly for United as Tottenham's new striker Berbatov took just seven minutes to score on his home debut. It was England winger Lennon who did all the damage by turning Chris Armstrong inside out on the right flank and delivering a low cross into the six-yard box for Berbatov to score from point-blank range. In the 17th minute, Spurs added a well-worked second and it was Keane, enjoying the freedom of a deeper role, who started the move. He crossed for Berbatov to head the ball into the path of Jenas who coolly slipped the ball over goalkeeper Paddy Kenny. Republic of Ireland international Keane was at the heart of their best moves as Spurs made light of the absence of England striker Jermain Defoe. A bruised foot, collected at Bolton on Saturday, kept Defoe on the bench and Keane seized the opportunity to become the chief architect behind United's downfall. In the 29th minute he was again the provider, somewhat fortuitously this time, when his attempted shot fell at the feet of Berbatov on the edge of the penalty area. The Bulgarian swivelled menacingly before unleashing a shot which brought a fine save from Kenny. The pace of Lee Young-Pyo and Lennon on the right flank was proving to be an unstoppable combination and time and again United stand-in left-back Armstrong found himself having to face the frenetic artistry of the England winger. Thankfully for United, Lennon's crossing failed to match his approach work and a succession of headed clearances helped the visitors to keep the scoreline somewhat respectable as the first half drew to a close. In the 61st minute, Keane was guilty of missing an easy chance to increase their advantage. The Irishman sent his shot wide of Kenny's left-hand post after Lennon had once again eluded the United defence and pulled the ball back from the byline. United had enjoyed occasional periods of possession after the break, but were unable to carve out any meaningful opportunities. Chris Morgan's powerful header into the box enabled Christian Nadé and Akinbiyi to make nuisances of themselves but Michael Tonge's on-target shot was blocked by Calum Davenport. On 74 minutes, substitutes Nick Montgomery and Nadé combined but Akinbiyi was unable to apply a crucial touch from six yards out. In the 82nd minute, Keane made way for Defoe and two minutes later Defoe brought a fine save from Kenny with an 18-yard drive as the ball threatened to squeeze inside the post. Defoe was clearly determined to get on the scoresheet and in the 87th minute he almost managed it with a rasping 25-yard drive which United goalkeeper Kenny was forced to palm away. United had put up a spirited resistance to Spurs after the break, but had barely created a serious chance of note throughout the match.

20th August United manager Neil Warnock claimed Liverpool did not deserve their penalty in Saturday lunchtime's Premiership draw at the Lane. The Blades were on course for a notable victory on their first game back in the top flight but Robbie Fowler made it 1-1 after Steven Gerrard was controversially awarded a spot-kick. Gerrard went down in the box after Chris Morgan slid in but replays appeared to suggest there was no contact. Warnock said: "We just worked hard all week. The top referees get paid to make the right decisions but he made the wrong one there. "I thought Rob (Styles) had a good game to be fair but no way was that a penalty. "He had given advantage if there was a foul in the first place, then he gave the penalty so he has given everything there." Nevertheless, Warnock was pleased with a draw, earned after Rob Hulse had given his side the lead early in the second half. He added: "I'm delighted - disappointed with what happened, but we have to get used to that. It was a good start, a good point." Styles explained that he felt Morgan had made contact with Gerrard. He said: "I had the ability in law to delay one or two seconds to see if there was an advantage. "I saw the Sheffield United player come in and there was slight contact with Steven Gerrard. "He subsequently lost the ability to score and I came back for the penalty. I certainly thought there was contact."

19th August Sheffield United 1 Liverpool 1 (Attendance: 31,726)
Blades Line-up: Kenny, Geary, Bromby (Leigertwood 75), Morgan, Unsworth, Ifill (Gillespie 59), Jagielka, Tonge, Armstrong, Hulse (Akinbiyi 86), Webber.

Not used: Sommeil, Nadé.
Booked: Morgan 37.
Scorer: Hulse 46.
Man of the Match: David Unsworth.

Liverpool Line-up: Reina, Kromkamp, Hyypia, Carragher (Agger 34), Riise (Gonzalez 26), Gerrard, Sissoko, Zenden, Aurelio, Fowler (Pennant 83), Bellamy.
Not Used: Sissoko, Kromkamp.

Scorer: Fowler 70 pen.

A controversial late penalty saved Liverpool against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in the opening match of the 2006-07 Premiership season. The Blades had taken the lead through Rob Hulse just 52 seconds into the second half. But United were denied all three points when referee Rob Styles ruled Steven Gerrard had been brought down in the area by Chris Morgan, Robbie Fowler converting from the spot at the Bramall Lane end. Starting with just one new face in his line-up in Hulse, it was the £2.2million man who had the ball in the back of the net late in the first half. He slipped a shot beyond Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina, but the offside flag had long been raised to stifle celebrations. Prior to that, Liverpool had come closest without seriously troubling United's backline, marshalled superbly by Morgan. Craig Bellamy drilled an angled shot through the six-yard box, but beyond the far post in the 9th minute. Liverpool were hit by an injury to John Arne Riise, who made his way to the edge of the area, went over on his ankle on the edge of the Blades area after being challenged by Leigh Bromby. Morgan was on hand to head away the danger, while for Riise it was the end of his game as he was taken off on a stretcher a few minutes later with his left leg in a brace. He was followed off by Jamie Carragher, who limped off in the 35th minute with an injury. Just before the break, United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny brilliantly tipped over the crossbar a dipping 30-yard free-kick from Fabio Aurelio after Morgan had handled and been booked. Then on the stroke of half-time the Reds finally prised the United defence open, but a poor first touch from Fowler on the edge of the six-yard area allowed David Unsworth to lash the ball away. Then came the breakthrough within a minute of the restart, with Unsworth the supplier with a whipped free-kick from the left wing. The Liverpool defenders failed to pick up Hulse, and he was allowed to rise unmarked and power a five-yard header past Reina in front of a packed Shoreham Kop. After Hyypia headed against the outside of the right-hand post soon after, and Kenny saved a diving header from Craig Bellamy in the 67th minute, Liverpool saved face three minutes later. Fowler and Gerrard exchanged a one-two on the edge of the area, with Morgan sliding in to make a challenge on the latter. There appeared to be minimal contact, with Gerrard's momentum as he clipped in a shot that was scooped up by Kenny, sending him tumbling. Styles immediately pointed to the spot, allowing Fowler to send Kenny the wrong way after the United keeper had committed himself. Liverpool pressed for the winner but at the end it was the Blades who were left feeling aggrieved. Still it was a excellent performance from United, against one of the title contenders.

19th August Phil Jagielka has signed a new three-year contract at Bramall Lane Jagielka had been linked with a move away from United in recent months, in particular as the club appeared to be stalling on entering into contract talks. Over the summer Jagielka had seen Michael Tonge, Chris Armstrong and Leigh Bromby all sign new deals. And now the 24-year-old has signed a new deal, with the option for a further year, in a deal that could see him remain at the club until 2010.Manager Neil Warnock said: "Obviously we've been working hard on this and we knew Jags was happy here and wanting to be in the Premiership. "It's great for us and we're all delighted he has achieved what he has with us and look forward to him proving himself still further. "We now hope he'll be able to fulfil his dreams with us." Another United midfielder, Stephen Quinn, has also signed a long-term deal with the club which could see him remain a Blades player for the next four years. The 20-year-old from Ireland is one of Warnock's prospects, and the United boss added: "Stephen is someone we have high hopes for."Although he is injured at the moment we felt it appropriate to reward him for a very good season last time out by extending his contract."

18th August Leigh Bromby admits he was not expecting the new deal offered to him by Sheffield United but was delighted to sign on the dotted line. The centre-back had a year left on his current contract but has now penned an extension and will stay at Bramall Lane for the next three years with the option of a further 12 months. He commented: "I was delighted to sign. "I wasn't expecting to be offered a new deal when I had a year still to run on my previous contract. But it shows the faith Neil (Warnock) has put in me."

17th August United boss Neil Warnock has hailed midfielder Phil Jagielka as "my own Steven Gerrard" ahead of Saturday's visit of Liverpool. Warnock believes Jagielka has what it takes to hold his own among some of the game's biggest names this season. And that is high praise indeed coming from Warnock, who has long admitted to being a huge admirer of Gerrard and his performances for both Liverpool and England. Warnock said: "Phil is my Steven Gerrard - he is just as important to me as he is to Liverpool. Having said that I don't think anyone in the world can be so effective going forward. "Gerrard is the complete player and I would have loved him to be made England captain. When we played them in the League Cup he came over and shook everyone's hands at the end and I will never forget that." For the lunchtime Premiership opener at Bramall Lane, Warnock is likely to pick one of Rob Hulse, Ade Akinbiyi and Neil Shipperley to partner Danny Webber as his side begin another battle to beat the odds. Warnock said: "It has taken quite a while to get here and now I am going to enjoy it and I am asking my players to enjoy it as well. "There will be criticism when we have bad periods but we had bad periods last year when people wrote us off. We have that little habit of turning things around when people don't think we can."

16th August Rob Hulse has warned Liverpool that the Blades will have a fearless attitude and a desire to do themselves justice at the Lane this Saturday. United will be backed by a sell out crowd and an explosive atmosphere as the Blades return back to the Premiership. Although Liverpool are likely to be tricky opening opponents, the Blades striker insists he and his teammates will be ready, and it will be the Merseyside team who will be apprehensive. He said: "There's no fear. It's excitement. There's always going to be some nerves, but it's going to be exciting. We've got to get out there and do our best. We feel that we have a lot to prove. We want, and must, do justice to ourselves and the fans." Hulse firmly believes that the Blades have what it takes to hold their own in the Premiership, although admits that realism has to play its part. He said: "We're under no illusions that it's going to be a difficult year. But we've got a good, young squad of talented players. Jagielka will do well for us this season, and I've been quite impressed with Tonge in training. It's every player's dream to play at the highest standard." Hulse's attitude reflects his manager, Neil Warnock's passion to succeed. He added: "Neil knows what he wants to do and he's passionate. He's got a plan, and you need tactics in the Premiership. "Our main objective is to be in the Premiership next season, and we'll take it game by game to achieve that."

14th August Blades manager Neil Warnock claims he will behave a bit better on the sidelines if he is treated with respect by the top-flight referees. Warnock is preparing for his first season in the Premiership with United after steering the Blades to promotion from the Championship last term. Warnock, whose side take on Liverpool at Bramall Lane in their opening game next weekend, believes the more mature stance of Premiership officials will negate the need for him to fire off one of his famous verbal volleys. Talking on BBC Radio Five's Sportsweek programme, he said: "I've got to change certain things, whether I can or not, I don't know. Time will tell. "I've got to try so it will be interesting to see if I can. The problems I have are not really with other managers, I only have problems with fourth officials and referees. "At the top level, most of the fourth officials have a lot more common sense than those at the level I've been at. They don't treat you like a schoolchild. They try to deal with you as a human being and handle situations before they get out of hand. "So when I am treated with a bit more respect I will probably behave a little bit better as well."

12th August Manager Neil Warnock expects defender Craig Short to sign a one-year deal in time for the opening game of the season. Short, 38, retired from the game in May but was coaxed back to Bramall Lane by Warnock and could be in line for a spot in the Premiership opener against Liverpool. With Claude Davis sidelined with damaged knee ligaments, Short could get a run in the side and Warnock believes he can be a key player for the Blades this season. Warnock commented: "We've got to get Craig's contract signed in the next week, probably over the weekend and definitely before Saturday. "As long as I'm manager Craig will always have a chance of playing. "I think Craig can do a full season if he manages to avoid injury. We need his influence around the in and around the place."

10th August Danny Webber has been given the all clear to face Liverpool in Sheffield United's Premiership opener on 19th August. The Blades striker sustained a knee injury in a 1-1 pre-season friendly draw against Sparta Rotterdam on the 5th August, and there were fears it could be serious. Manager Neil Warnock sent Webber back to Sheffield on Sunday for scans on the injury, and to the relief of the United boss they have revealed no problems. Webber should now be fit to take on manager Rafael Benitez's side at the Lane on 19th August.

8th August ADO Den Haag 2 Sheffield United 2 (Attendance: 2.500)

Blades Line-up: Bennett, Sommeil, Unsworth (Kozluk 56), Bromby (Morgan 46), Short, Jagielka, Gillespie, Leigertwood, Nadé (Akinbiyi 56), A Quinn (Ifill 64), Buckley (Hulse 64).
Not used: Kenny, Tonge, Armstrong, Kabba.
Booked: Short 22.
Scorers: Leigertwood 39. Hulse 76.

ADO Den Haag Line-up: Postma; Riedeweld, Martha (Hakansson 46), Saavedra, Loumpoutis; Rankovic, Bodde, Tininho; Delorge, Mols, Swirl (Verhoek 80).
Scorers: Delorge 51, Loumpoutis 64.

The Blades rounded off their Dutch tour with a 2-2 draw with ADO Den Haag in the Netherlands. The first chance went to Christian Nadé who had a great first minute opportunity, as he tried to tuck the ball past the Den Haag keeper. Then, Ian Bennett blocked a similar chance, after Santi Kolk broke through for Den Haag. United had a chance when Nadé raced into the penalty area to volley Keith Gillespie's cross, but defenders blocked his effort. Mikele Leigertwood's trip gave Ferrie Bodde a free-kick chance from 25 yards and although it was well-struck Bennett palmed it over the top. Midfielder Tininho flashed a long range drive past the post and then Kolk made a complete hash of his chance. But in the 39th minute the Blades opened the scoring. Nadé provided a lay-off for Leigertwood who cleverly chipped Stefan Postma. Just before the interval, Michael Mols turned Short only for the move to be snuffed out on the edge of the area. After 51 minutes, Den Haag equalised. Kolk's flighted header came back off a post it looked like a reprieve but Laurent Delorge was already running in and half volleyed high into the Blades net. United soon made a double change, Rob Kozluk and Ade Akinbiyi replacing Nadé and David Unsworth but there was plenty of defending to do as the Dutch side went for their second goal. After 64 minutes, Konstantinos Loumpoutis strode forward and power a drive just inside Bennett's right hand upright to give the Dutch side the lead. But 12 minutes later United hit back, striker Rob Hulse levelling from close range when David Sommeil's header came back off the post.

5th August Ade Akinbiyi was sent off in the 90th minute as United had to settle for a 1-1 draw away at Sparta Rotterdam. And there was further concern for Blades boss Neil Warnock as centre-half Chris Lucketti suffered an early injury in a clash with Jason Oost. Lucketti played on until the 42nd minute before being replaced. United took the lead a minute before half-time when David Unsworth's corner was turned into his own goal by Sparta keeper Rene Ponk, but Marvin Emnes grabbed a late equaliser after good work by Rachid Bouaouzan. Akinbiyi then received his marching orders after a clash with a Sparta defender, and faces an anxious wait to discover if he will be suspended for the start of the Premiership season.

3rd August Leeds United have signed Blades striker Geoff Horsfield on loan until Christmas with a view to a permanent move. The 32-year-old, who had also been targeted by Sunderland and West Brom, made only one league start for the Blades last season after falling out with manager Neil Warnock shortly after his switch from Albion. Horsfield will go straight into the Leeds squad for the opening Championship game of the season against Norwich at Elland Road. Leeds manager Kevin Blackwell said: "We are going to take him on loan until Christmas to see how Geoff performs. If things go well we have got the option to complete something with Sheff United. He is raring to go and it will be nice to see him in a white shirt. All being well he should be making his debut on Saturday.

3rd August Defender Claude Davis could be set for a spell on the sidelines, after a recurrence of a troublesome knee problem. The Jamaican international who is United's club record transfer limped off after 66 minutes of the Blades friendly at Notts County on Tuesday night. Neil Warnock commented: "Claude had to come off as a precaution. He keeps aggravating the knock he picked up earlier in pre-season. "We will have to make a decision on whether to rest him or take him to Holland, but we will find out more in the next 24 to 48 hours, its a case of wait and see."

2nd August Striker Geoff Horsfield is being linked with a number of Championship sides, including Cardiff, Leeds and Stoke. Horsfield cost the Blades £1.2million from West Brom during last season's promotion campaign, but made only three appearances for United.