Tasked with transforming Sheffield United's fortunes, manager Slavisa Jokanovic will be hoping to use his previous experiences at this level to his advantage next season.

Having masterminded promotions to the Premier League during his respective spells at Fulham and Watford, the Serbian knows exactly what it takes to compete in a division which is famed for its competitiveness.

Providing that they make a positive start to the new term at Bramall Lane, the Blades could potentially emerge as contenders for an immediate return to the Premier League.

Set to face Birmingham City on Saturday, it will be intriguing to see who will feature for United in this particular clash.

When you consider that Jokanovic has yet to make a signing this summer, he may decide to give some of the club's current players the chance to prove themselves against the Blues.

Making reference to Aaron Ramsdale and Sander Berge, who have both been linked with moves to Arsenal this summer, the United boss has admitted that they are likely to feature this weekend.

A report from The Sheffield Star earlier this week revealed that the Gunners were weighing up a potential double deal after recently having two bids for Ramsdale turned down by the Blades.

Jokanovic has also revealed that he hopes that this duo opt to avoid the temptation to move elsewhere during the remainder of the transfer window.

Speaking to The Sheffield Star about Ramsdale and Berge, the 52-year-old said: "I will be really surprised if these two guys don't start against Birmingham.

"From another side, there are 22 days ahead of us.

"I hope these two guys you mention will stay with us because they are important players in my squad.

"From the other side, I know how it is going, this business where we are in.

"But I am thinking about them as part of my squad.

"There exists the possibility of course.

"But at this moment, I am not thinking without them."

GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...

Considering that there is a great deal of speculation surrounding this particular duo, it will be interesting to see how they fare against Birmingham if they do indeed feature in this fixture.

Whereas Berge's struggles with injury contributed to him averaging a relatively underwhelming WhoScored match rating of 6.43 last season, there is no reason why he cannot go on to set the second-tier alight in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Ramsdale will be looking to build upon the encouraging performances that he produced in the Premier League which earned him a place in England's Euro 2020 squad.

By fending off interest from elsewhere for this pair, Jokanovic could potentially launch a sustained bid for promotion next season.

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