Sheffield Wednesday will make the short trip to Bramall Lane on Sunday to take on rivals Sheffield United in the first Steel City Derby in over five years.
The last three editions of the derby, including two at Bramall Lane, ended in goalless draws in England's second tier, while the hosts currently sit 10 points ahead of their visitors in the Championship table.
Match preview
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Sheffield United return to action on Sunday aiming to continue an unbeaten run in Steel City Derbies dating back to February 2012, having since picked up one victory and managed three draws against their city rivals.
Despite beginning the season with a two-point deduction, the Blades now find themselves in the Championship's automatic promotion spots, sitting second with 28 points on the board from 14 outings, largely thanks to their eye-catching defensive record with only one side having conceded fewer than the seven goals they have allowed in those games.
After suffering their first two league defeats of the season on their return from the October international break, Chris Wilder's side have bounced back in style and head into the weekend on the back of three straight victories, firstly picking up 2-0 triumphs at home to Stoke City and away at Blackburn Rovers.
That run then looked set to come to an end away at Bristol City on Tuesday, as the Blades trailed 1-0 until the 85th minute, but Ryan One headed them level before Harrison Burrows snatched all three points with the decisive goal deep into injury time.
Now heading into their first Steel City Derby since March 2019, having picked up a 4-2 away victory and played out three goalless stalemates in the last four iterations, Sheffield United will aim to retain bragging rights and make it 13 years unbeaten against their rivals while strengthening their position in the Championship's top two.
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Their visitors, meanwhile, travel across the city aiming to climb the Championship table and end that wait for a 43rd win over their rivals.
Danny Rohl's first full season in charge of Sheffield Wednesday has largely been defined by inconsistency thus far, although they do sit 15th after 14 games after escaping the drop in dramatic fashion last time around.
Although they have only netted one fewer than their second-placed hosts' 18 goals this season, it is at the back where the Owls have struggled, with only Plymouth Argyle and Portsmouth having conceded more than the 24 goals they have shipped in those 14 outings.
That is in no small part down to a heavy defeat at the hands of Watford last weekend, having eventually succumbed to a 6-2 beating despite being level at the break, but they bounced back in impressive fashion on Tuesday, returning to winning ways at home to promotion-chasing Norwich City as Josh Windass and Dominic Iorfa netted first-half goals in a 2-0 triumph.
Now leading the bottom three by just three points but only trailing the top nine by one, Sheffield Wednesday will bid to quickly improve their standing with a first victory at Bramall Lane since 2009 and a second since 1967.
Team News
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After rotating his squad for Tuesday's trip to Bristol City, Chris Wilder will revert to a full-strength Sheffield United starting XI for the Steel City Derby, although there are fresh concerns up front with Kieffer Moore's cameo cut short by a calf injury while Rhian Brewster missed the meeting at Ashton Gate.
If they are confined to the treatment room, Tyrese Campbell will lead the Blades' line in a 4-2-3-1 setup, likely with support from Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Callum O'Hare and Gustavo Hamer, despite Andre Brooks and Ryan One laying claims to feature.
Oliver Arblaster will return alongside Vinicius Souza in the engine room, while Alfie Gilchrist, Harry Souttar, Anel Ahmedhodzic and Harrison Burrows will form an unchanged back four in front of goalkeeper Michael Cooper, who has conceded just five goals and kept eight clean sheets in 12 Championship games since arriving from Plymouth Argyle.
Danny Rohl should field a similar Sheffield Wednesday team on Sunday to the one which started in their 2-0 victory over Norwich City in midweek, with Nathaniel Chalobah and Michael Ihiekwe remaining their only enforced absentees.
The Owls switched to a 4-3-3 shape for that game, and Svante Ingelsson could again join Shea Charles and Barry Bannan in the engine room at Bramall Lane, while Dominic Iorfa and Di'Shon Bernard will continue at the heart of the defence.
There is plenty of competition for spots in attack, with the likes of Anthony Musaba, Djeidi Gassama, Jamal Lowe and Ike Ugbo vying for starting spots, while Josh Windass and Michael Smith should both feature from the outset.
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Cooper; Gilchrist, Ahmedhodzic, Souttar, Burrows; Souza, Arblaster; Rak-Sakyi, O'Hare, Hamer; Campbell
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Beadle; Palmer, Bernard, Iorfa, Johnson; Charles, Bannan, Ingelsson; Gassama, Smith, Windass
We say: Sheffield United 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday
Given the recent run of results between the Sheffield sides and the hosts' tight defensive record, we can only envisage a cagey and low-scoring encounter in Sunday's Steel City Derby.
If either team find an opener, one goal could be decisive and the Blades should have the quality to come out on top given the Owls' struggles at the back.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
