Sheffield United defender George Baldock has revealed that he prefers to be involved in a heavier fixture schedule, rather than wait a week between games.

The Blades endured a slow start to the Championship season, claiming just a single point from their opening four league games.

That had picked with a run of three wins and two draws in five, prior to a 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough on Tuesday, with Sheffield United back in action away at Bournemouth on Saturday.

But while some may suggest that the constant stream of matches has contributed to a mixed set of results since the appointment of Slavisa Jokanovic as the club's new manager in the summer, it seems Baldock is happier to be playing games at more regular intervals.

Speaking about the demands of playing a midweek game in between two weekend matches, the full-back told the Sheffield Star: “Personally, I like the three games in a week set-up. I find it helps me get more into a rhythm."

But with an international break on the way after this weekend, Baldock is expecting Jokanovic to have him and his teammates busy on the training pitch in the next couple of weeks, as he added: “As a manager, though, he would probably like more time on the training ground. He’ll be working us tirelessly during the international break.”

Baldock's side go into that game with the Cherries 13th in the Championship table, four points adrift of the play-off places.

The Verdict

This does feel like a rather interesting admission from Baldock, and you feel not all players will agree with him.

On the one hand, you can understand why Baldock may want to play regularly, given the momentum it could build for him and his side.

However, there is also the case for a longer gap between games that can be made, to give players a chance to recover, and regroup if something has gone wrong.

Balancing the two may be a challenge for managers, and it will be interesting to see if much changes at Sheffield United after Jokanovic's time on the training with them during the international break.