Overview

• Players and coaching staff refused to play the behind-closed-doors friendly against Burnley when July salaries were not paid on time.
• The club remains under EFL embargoes on transfers and player registrations for unpaid fees and repeated wage delays.
• Henrik Pedersen took over as head coach this week, replacing Danny Rohl amid a squad reduced to just 15 senior professionals.
• Sheffield City Council closed Hillsborough’s North Stand after engineers raised structural safety concerns, shrinking available capacity.
• High-profile departures this summer, including Josh Windass and Michael Smith, have intensified doubts over squad depth before the August 10 trip to Leicester City.