An all-Championship affair in the third round of the FA Cup takes place at Bramall Lane on Thursday night as Sheffield United play host to Cardiff City.
The two teams meet just under three weeks on from their second-tier encounter in South Wales where the Blades claimed a 2-0 away victory, courtesy of a brace from Kieffer Moore.
Match preview
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Sheffield United ended a three-game winless run and reignited their Championship title charge when they battled to a 2-1 win at Watford last weekend.
Andre Brooks's 53rd-minute strike proved to be the match-winner in a closely-fought contest and has helped the Blades - who remain third in the table - move to within just one point of leaders Leeds United, who dropped points in a 3-3 draw with Hull City.
Chris Wilder was left "quite emotional" following Sheffield United's win at Watford and has encouraged his team, riddled with injuries, to maintain their "incredible effort" if order to build a positive run of form and boost their promotion push.
The FA Cup is next on the agenda, though, with the Blades vying to advance beyond the third round for the sixth time in eight seasons and for the seventh time in a row against an opponent from the same division.
Sheffield United head into Thursday's contest having failed to win their last two home games against Burnley (0-2) and West Bromwich Albion (1-1), but the four-time FA Cup winners - most recently in 1925 when they beat Cardiff 1-0 in the final - have won their last five competitive meetings with the Bluebirds, scoring 11 goals in the process.
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Following a miserable nine-game winless run towards the end of 2024, Cardiff have since picked up five points from their last three Championship games to strengthen their hopes of survival.
A 2-1 win at Watford has been followed by successive 1-1 draws with Coventry City and Middlesbrough, games in which they came from behind to rescue a precious point; Calum Chambers equalised against the latter last weekend.
Omer Riza felt that his 'resilient' team were good value for their point at the Riverside, and although the Bluebirds remain 23rd in the table, they are only sitting in the relegation zone on goal difference and have a game in hand on some of the teams in and around them.
Cardiff are sure to have one eye on Championship encounters at home to Watford and Welsh rivals Swansea City later this month, but they must first turn their attention to the FA Cup and will attempt to avoid crashing out in the third round for the fifth straight season.
The Bluebirds have only lost one of their last six away games, but they travel to Bramall Lane having lost their last four FA Cup ties on the road, conceding at least three goals in each of the last three, while they have lost three of the last four meetings with Sheffield United in the competition.
Team News
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Sheffield United's lengthy injury list includes Oliver Arblaster, Harry Souttar, Femi Seriki, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Vinicius Souza, Jamie Shackleton and Tyrese Campbell, while Gustavo Hamer, Callum O'Hare and Tom Davies will all be assessed after Wilder took a "massive risk" to play the midfield trio against Watford.
Wilder will be tempted to freshen his team up where possible, with Adam Davies, Sam McCallum, Jamal Baptiste and Rhian Brewster among those pushing to start.
Eighteen-year-old Liverpool-linked striker Ryan One was handed just his second league start last weekend and is in contention to lead the line once again.
As for Cardiff, they will be without Isaak Davies, Michael Reindorf, Aaron Ramsey and David Turnbull as they all continue to recover from injury, while top scorer Callum Robinson is suspended.
Perry Ng is in contention to return at right-back and could be joined in defence by Dimitrios Goutas, Jesper Daland and Callum O'Dowda, with Chambers potentially retaining his starting spot in midfield.
The absence of Robinson could see Rubin Colwill continue to lead the line, while Yakou Meite, Chris Willock, Cian Ashford and Ollie Tanner are also in contention to start in attack.
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Davies; Gilchrist, Ahmedhodzic, Baptiste, McCallum; Hampson, Peck; Brooks, O'Hare, Brewster; One
Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Alnwick; Ng, Goutas, Daland, O'Dowda; Siopis, Chambers; Tanner, Robertson, Willock; Colwill
We say: Sheffield United 1-0 Cardiff City
There will be a winner one way or another at Bramall Lane as there are now no FA Cup replays. Cardiff will fancy their chances against an injury-hit Sheffield United side, but we feel that the hosts will have just enough to edge themselves into the fourth round.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
