On their return from the final international break of the season, Sheffield United and Coventry City will meet at Bramall Lane on Friday in a crucial contest at the top end of the Championship table.
The hosts sit in the automatic promotion spots but only lead third-placed Burnley by two points, while the visitors have climbed into fifth place and lead the chasing pack by the same margin in the playoff race.
Match preview
© Imago
Sheffield United return for the final stretch of the Championship season on Friday aiming to move to the top of the table and give their automatic promotion hopes another major boost.
Following a harmful home defeat to league leaders Leeds United in late February, just their sixth league loss of the season, the Blades quickly refound their form before the recent international break, putting a four-match unbeaten run together including three victories, as they firstly beat Queens Park Rangers and Preston North End to make it six wins from a seven-game span alongside that lone setback.
Then on the back of a disappointing 1-1 home draw with Bristol City, having been pegged back by a 90th-minute Mark Sykes leveller after Tyrese Campbell's opener, Chris Wilder's men most recently visited city rivals Sheffield Wednesday before the break and completed the double over the Owls with a 1-0 victory thanks to Rhian Brewster's second-half goal.
That made it a league-high tally of 25 second-tier wins for the season for the Steel City outfit, having accrued 82 points from their 38 games thus far while only trailing leaders Leeds on goal difference with 80 on the board as a result of a two-point deduction to start the season.
They do, however, still only lead third-placed Burnley by two points in a tight promotion race, and with eight games remaining, they will hope to take another step towards an immediate return to the top flight with a home victory to regain top spot on Friday.
© Imago
They face a tough test, though, as the visitors arrive in a fine vein of form of their own in their promotion bid this season.
Following a disappointing start to their latest Championship campaign and the dismissal of long-serving manager Mark Robins, Coventry City turned to Frank Lampard in late November, and he has overseen an eye-catching climb up the table and into the top six.
Indeed, in 21 league outings under their new boss, the Sky Blues have amassed 42 points, winning 13 of those and only losing five, with 10 of those victories coming in their last 12 attempts since mid-January.
After an away loss to Derby County halted a five-match winning run, the West Midlands outfit hosted fourth-placed Sunderland before the break and bounced back with a statement result, as Haji Wright netted a hat-trick in a 3-0 triumph.
Now sitting fifth thanks to their impressive climb, but still only leading sixth-placed West Bromwich Albion and seventh-placed Bristol City by two points with eight games remaining, Coventry City head to Bramall Lane hoping to pick up where they left off and strengthen their playoff claim with another victory.
Team News
![Jack Robinson of Sheffield United during the Sky Bet Championship match Preston North End vs Sheffield United at Deepdale, Preston, United Kingdom, August 9, 2024 [on August 11, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/32/jack-robinson.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Jack Robinson of Sheffield United during the Sky Bet Championship match Preston North End vs Sheffield United at Deepdale, Preston, United Kingdom, August 9, 2024 [on August 11, 2024]")
© Imago
Sheffield United will likely remain without defenders Alfie Gilchrist, Harry Clarke and Rhys Norrington-Davies and midfielders Tom Davies, Oliver Arblaster and Jamie Shackleton, all of whom were sidelined by lengthy injuries before the international break.
Key midfielder Vinicius Souza also missed their trip to Sheffield Wednesday, and if the Brazilian is not deemed fully fit to return from the start, Sydie Peck and Hamza Choudhury will continue their midfield partnership.
Tyrese Campbell will again lead the line, having notched up nine goals in 26 league appearances for the Blades this term, while Callum O'Hare, Gustavo Hamer, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Ben Brereton Diaz and Rhian Brewster will all compete to start in support of the front man, with Hamer and O'Hare having made 314 combined appearances for Friday's visitors before their respective moves to the Blades.
Coventry City head to Bramall Lane without important midfielder Jack Rudoni, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury before the break, while Ben Sheaf and Brandon Thomas-Asante also missed their win over Sunderland and could remain confined to the treatment room.
Despite competition from Ellis Simms, Haji Wright is bound to lead the line again, having moved onto 10 goals from 19 league appearances for the season with his hat-trick in that game last time out, with those being his first goals since early November after a lengthy injury layoff.
He should again be flanked by Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Ephron Mason-Clark with Victor Torp providing further attacking support centrally, while Jamie Allen should again join January arrival Matt Grimes in the engine room if Sheaf is not fit to return from the outset.
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Cooper; Seriki, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Burrows; Peck, Choudhury; Brewster, O'Hare, Hamer; Campbell
Coventry City possible starting lineup:
Dovin; Van Ewijk, Thomas, Kitching, Dasilva; Grimes, Allen; Sakamoto, Torp, Mason-Clark; Wright
We say: Sheffield United 1-0 Coventry City
With both sides returning to action following fine runs of form and desperate for three points in their respective promotion bids, we certainly anticipate a tight and hard-fought encounter at Bramall Lane on Friday.
In one of their toughest tests in recent months, we give a slight edge to the Blades to lean on their defensive resilience and manage an 11th 1-0 victory of the season and a seventh at home.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
