Chris Wilder has hinted that Rhian Brewster could start for Sheffield United against former club Liverpool this weekend.

The two sides lock horns in a Premier League clash on Saturday evening, as the Reds look to kick on from their 1-0 win at Ajax in the Champions League.

Liverpool will face a 19th-placed Blades side with just one point to their name after five matches, following a tough start to the season.

Brewster joined United permanently from the Reds earlier this month, making his debut as a substitute in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at home to Fulham.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Wilder didn’t confirm that the youngster would start against his former team, but suggested that he was very much in his thoughts:

Rhian is an infectious character. It was a difficult decision for me on Sunday whether to start him or bring him off the bench.

He has obviously had another week’s training and put himself right in the frame to certainly be involved and start as well.

He is really at the forefront of our thinking. I’d have no hesistation (in starting him). He’s pushing.

His natural ability and talent is there to be seen by everybody and everybody has seen that already.

It is just from the physical side of it and not opening him up to injury and not damaging him. We want him to play and get him in the team and always the big decision from the manager is the timing of that.

Certainly a week’s training will not have given him any harm at all and he’s been bright and bubbly and is definitely in our thoughts to start.

Read Liverpool Verdict

It was always going to be a tough decision when it came to Brewster’s future, but for Liverpool to receive £23.5million for such an inexperienced player was superb business.

There is a buyback clause in the 20-year-old’s contract that could be triggered further down the line and it will be fascinating to see how he fares on Saturday, should he start.

Brewster will likely come up against a centre-back pairing of Fabinho and Joe Gomez, both of whom he will know inside out from training alongside them.

Without Virgil van Dijk around to mop things up, the young striker could see it as a chance to immediately make his mark for his new club, and make Liverpool regret selling him.

Were Liverpool right to sell Brewster?

Yes

No