Rhian Brewster to start? 2 big Sheffield United dilemmas Wilder is facing for Preston clash on Friday | OneFootball

We looked at two big decisions facing Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder ahead of his side's opening game at Preston North End on Friday night.

Sheffield United are preparing for life back in the Championship after their relegation from the Premier League.

It was a disastrous campaign for the Blades last season as they were relegated from the top flight after accumulating a total of just 16 points, but they will be hoping to bounce back at the first attempt this term.

United endured a slow start to the transfer window amid ongoing takeover uncertainty, but despite a deal for the club not yet being completed, manager Chris Wilder has been able to do some impressive business, with Sam McCallum, Harrison Burrows, Jamie Shackleton, Callum O'Hare and Kieffer Moore all arriving at Bramall Lane so far this summer.

However, a number of senior players have left the club, including Wes Foderingham, Jordan Amissah, George Baldock, Jayden Bogle, Chris Basham, John Egan, Max Lowe, Oliver Norwood, Ben Osborn, Benie Traore, Cameron Archer, Daniel Jebbison and Oli McBurnie, so there is still plenty of work for Wilder to do.

The Blades get their season underway when they take on Preston North End at Deepdale on Friday night, and we looked at two dilemmas facing Wilder ahead of the big kick-off.

Ivo Grbic

With Foderingham and Amissah both departing the club, the Blades will be keen to bring in a new goalkeeper before the end of the transfer window.

United do still have Ivo Grbic and Adam Davies on their books, but the former has failed to impress since his January arrival from Atletico Madrid, while the latter has not played much football in recent years.

Grbic became the Blades' first choice goalkeeper immediately after joining the club for a fee of £2 million, but after a host of disappointing performances, he lost his place in the team in April, and it was claimed the club were open to selling the 28-year-old this summer.

Wilder has refused to comment specifically on Grbic's situation, but he did hint last month that he was hoping to recruit a new number one, telling The Star: "We're looking at every position.

"I'm not going to go into detail regarding that position. Ivo wasn't involved today because he was ill, and Adam played 90 minutes. He didn't have a lot to do but what he did well was neat and tidy and he's a competent goalkeeper. All positions, we're looking at."

Grbic had seemed likely to begin the season between the sticks, but he was absent for the last two pre-season games with illness, giving Wilder a big decision to make on who to start in goal against Preston.

It is clear that Wilder is not a huge fan of Grbic or Davies, but with deals for top targets such as Plymouth Argyle's Michael Cooper looking challenging, they may be his only options for at least the first few games of the season.

Rhian Brewster

After new signing Moore missed the final pre-season friendly at Huddersfield Town on Friday night with injury, Wilder will need to decide whether to start the Welsh international against Preston or play Rhian Brewster.

Wilder has come away from his trusted 3-5-2 system during pre-season, instead opting for a 4-2-3-1 formation, so it seems likely that he will stick with that shape on the opening night, meaning only one striker will be deployed.

William Osula remains at the club, but the Blades are in talks with Newcastle United over a £15 million deal for the 20-year-old, and they will not want to risk losing that much-needed income by playing the striker on Friday night.

The sensible option for Wilder would be to not take any chances with Moore and go with Brewster instead, but the manager will be keen to get off to a positive start to the season, and most importantly, wipe out the club's two-point deduction, so he will want to play his strongest team.

While Brewster could reignite his career in the Championship this season, he has scored just five goals in 77 games for United since joining the club from Liverpool in October 2020 in a deal worth up to £23.5 million, so Wilder may have reservations about allowing him to lead the line.

The situation could change if the Blades are able to bring in another striker over the coming days, with Leicester City's Tom Cannon said to be one name on their radar, but it seems likely Wilder will have to choose between Moore and Brewster.