Sheffield United boss Slavisa Jokanovic has told The Star that he has reminded his fringe players that they need to be ready to make an impact this weekend against Barnsley. 

The Blades will be without the services of their most creative outlet in Morgan Gibbs-White, with the Wolves loanee having been sent off in their midweek defeat against Millwall.

This could therefore mean that the likes of Oli McBurnie could get a recall to the starting eleven against his former side, whilst there are also several other attacking players that are pushing for more minutes at present.

Speaking ahead of the game at Oakwell, Jokanovic was quick to send the following message to his squad:

"If people come off the bench, then three minutes from them can actually be more important than 90 from another player.

"They must be ready to play 90 minutes all the time. If they have a bright mind, then they understand and are ready for the moment", he concluded.

The Blades will certainly be looking to bounce back on Sunday, particularly after only winning two of their last six games in all competitions.

A victory for Jokanovic's men could see them move up to the upper half of the league standings if other results go in their favour.

The Verdict 

Morgan Gibbs-White will certainly be a big miss for the Blades this weekend, however there are still plenty of talented players who can step up in his absence.

Sheffield United must make use of their squad depth over this busy period but at the same time, Jokanovic will be mindful of keeping his team selection as consistent as possible over this run of games.

Tinkering with the team too much could have a detrimental effect on their momentum as a group and the only way that they can build winning habits is to try and keep the same team week in, week out.

The manager has arguably chopped and changed his side too much so far this term and it has become clear that he doesn't know his best starting eleven, which is something that is sure to concern many.