Blades quartet out with virus
Warnock has £5 million to spend in January
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Friday, 29, Dec 2006 10:07
Struggling Sheffield United could be without four key players for tomorrow's daunting game against Arsenal due to a virus.
Claude Davis, Keith Gillespie, Michael Tonge and Danny Webber have all been taken ill.
Blades boss Neil Warnock will give late fitness tests to the four players ahead of the game at Bramall Lane.
United will also be without Derek Geary and Stephen Quinn through injury.
Warnock admitted he was praying for a miracle against Wenger's side.
"I'm hoping for six inches of snow at the moment!" Warnock told Sky Sports News.
"The preparations haven't been as good as we expected as we have had quite a nasty virus around the place at the moment which has taken care of two or three players this week. There are also one or two injuries."
United have a crunch clash with Middlesbrough at the Riverside stadium on Monday.
Warnock added that he will have to pick his team carefully as his side are just two points away from the drop zone.
"The difficulty of having to play on Monday afternoon as well means we have got two games in less than 48 hours.
"I think whoever is fit is going to have to play against Arsenal.
"I said that (fielding a weakened side) tongue in cheek at the start of the week, but it might come back to haunt me."
The Blades have lost their last two league games having gone on a four-match unbeaten run to move out of the relegation zone.