Jordan Ayew Set for Sheffield United Debut Against Wolves

Jordan Ayew is set to step straight into the Sheffield United fight, with the new signing in line for his debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday (12:00 BST).

The Ghana forward only walked through the door on Tuesday as a free agent, yet he was on the bench that same evening against Blackburn Rovers, a clear sign of how quickly Chris Wilder wants him involved.

Wilder has not tried to hide his enthusiasm.

"One of the attractions of signing Jordan, not just the level of his experience, his availability record is just incredible," the Blades boss said. "We are delighted physically where he's at and he will definitely be involved."

For a squad stretched thin, Ayew’s reliability is gold dust. He brings Premier League know-how, versatility across the front line and, crucially for Wilder, a body that can be trusted to turn up week after week.

The strain on the group was obvious against Blackburn. Midfielder Hamza Choudhury, only recently trying to build rhythm again after previous issues, lasted 58 minutes before being withdrawn. Wilder put that down to fatigue rather than fresh damage, but the message around his squad was blunt.

"There's a few in an ideal world would be getting rested and maybe not starting, but that's the situation at the moment," he admitted.

So Choudhury, the Bangladesh international, is expected to be back in the thick of it at the weekend, part of a patched-up core asked to go again.

Ayew’s arrival does not solve everything. It does, though, give Wilder one more seasoned option at the top end of the pitch at a time when he can scarcely afford to leave experience unused.

On Sunday, with Wolves in town and the margins tight, that might be enough to tilt a key moment Sheffield United’s way.