Saidi's Blades move crocked

Karim Saidi's promising trial with Sheffield United has come to an end because of injury.

The 23-year-old stopper scored the only goal of the game in the Blades' friendly victory over Sparta Rotterdam on Saturday.

He only played 45 minutes of the game, but has now returned to his club Feyenoord to get fit after a slight knee injury looks to have cost him a deal to move to South Yorkshire.

"A day later it was difficult so I couldn't train," Saidi told Feyenoord's official website.

"Therefore, we decided I should get fully fit at Feyenoord and maybe later I could return to Sheffield.

"It was going very well till the clash. First it didn't hurt that much, but a day later I really felt it.

"I know I could have played in the second friendly match. I contacted the coach and he told me I had to be fully fit at Feyenoord.

"It's not a big injury, but it's a disappointment. It looks like everything is against me now.

"But maybe there will be another chance at Sheffield, Feyenoord or another side."

Bramall Lane veteran Craig Short will meanwhile return to the starting line-up for the team's second pre-season match in Holland, against ADO Den Haag on Tuesday.

The 38-year-old centre back retired at the end of last season, but is expected to sign new one-year deal with Neil Warnock's side.

New signing Claude Davis picked up a knee injury and looks to be out of the first six weeks of the new season, so Warnock is anxious to get Short fit again in time for the first game of the season against Liverpool on August 19.