Not Quite In Top 'Gear'

Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell has praised full-back Derek Geary for his recent performances despite being nowhere near full fitness.

Geary, who has been thrown into the action on a couple of occasions this season, and completed another ninety minutes on Tuesday following the blow regarding Kyle Walker.

'Del has had a terrific battle with his knee and done brilliantly to come back, but it is a balancing act, we don't want to push him too far - it's a progressive process and we want to get it right.

Along with Geary, Jonathan Fortune is another defender who has been tossed in at the deep end due to injuries across the backline.

'I feel guilty because if they suffer further setbacks they could be career-threatening and I am asking to play when they shouldn't. I want to look after them but sometimes I have had no option'

'The last time we tried to get Jon back he tore a hamstring and was out for another seven weeks but he has done tremendously well, playing three full games in the space of seven days against Bolton, Reading and West Brom.'

Nyron Nosworth, Toni Kallio and Marcel Seip have all been drafted in throughout January, but injuries to Chris Morgan, Andy Taylor and Seip means that Fortune and Geary have had to be used more than the Blades chief would like.

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