Any side that is serious about winning promotion from the Championship needs to have strength in depth as every squad will be tested in this league.

With 46 games to play, it's inevitable that injuries will hit or some players will lose form but it's about others stepping up.

That's been the case at Sheffield United in the past few weeks, with the influential Jack O'Connell missing out.

The talented 24-year-old is a very good defender first and foremost but he also brings a lot more to the team, giving them balance in the back three as he's left-footed and he can carry the ball very well too.

Therefore, many expected him to be a big loss when he picked up an injury late on against Aston Villa earlier this month.

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Yet, without their key defender, Chris Wilder's side have picked up nine points from three games, two against promotion rivals, and they haven't conceded a goal.

That will delight the manager and it will also send a message to O'Connell that others are ready to step in if his form does drop.

The ex-Brentford man hadn't been slacking by any means, but to see the team thrive in his absence should give him that bit more hunger to do well - which is exactly what any manager wants.

With O'Connell expected to be fit for Monday's derby game against Sheffield Wednesday, Wilder now has a big decision to make.

However, it's the sort of issue that any manager would want as all the players will know that their standards can't drop as the Blades chase promotion.