Jordan Ayew Set for Sheffield United Debut Against Wolves

Jordan Ayew is set to be thrown straight into the Sheffield United squad on Sunday, with Chris Wilder confirming the new signing will feature against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Ghana forward, picked up as a free agent on Tuesday, went straight onto the bench for the midweek clash with Blackburn Rovers. He did not get on the pitch, but he has already convinced his new manager he is ready to play a part.

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

For a squad stretched to its limits, that reliability matters. Wilder’s options have been shredded by injuries, forcing him to lean heavily on players who, in a different phase of the season, would be nowhere near a starting XI.

Hamza Choudhury is one of them. The midfielder was withdrawn after 58 minutes against Rovers, a change Wilder put down to fatigue rather than a fresh setback. Even so, there is little chance of shielding him this weekend.

With bodies thin on the ground, the Bangladesh international is expected to be called upon again, despite the obvious risk of overloading him.

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

So Ayew arrives not as a luxury, but as a necessity: a seasoned Premier League campaigner being asked to steady a bruised squad and hit the ground running against Wolves at Bramall Lane.