Sheffield United will make the short trip across South Yorkshire to the New York Stadium on Saturday, as they take on Rotherham United.
The Blades make the trip on the back of a dramatic 3-3 draw away at Wrexham in the FA Cup fourth round over the weekend and remain comfortable in second place in the Championship table, while their hosts sit 20th with a five-point lead over the relegation zone.
Match preview
© Reuters
Rotherham United will head into Saturday's tough test with some renewed confidence, having put consecutive pleasing results on the board in their fight to preserve their Championship status this term, following a tough run of form since the World Cup break.
The Millers went into the break on a relative high following a draw with Luton Town and a 1-0 triumph away at Saturday's high-flying opponents, thanks to Ben Wiles's first-half goal and a resolute defensive display, but on their return to action, Matt Taylor's side would pick up just single point from a four-match span before travelling to take on third-tier Ipswich Town in the FA Cup third round after the turn of the year.
Their struggles continued in that contest, as they were comfortably beaten 4-1 at Portman Road despite Conor Washington initially drawing his side level soon after the interval, and after turning their attention fully back to the fight for survival in England's third tier, the South Yorkshire outfit would produce a much-needed result when they hosted Blackburn Rovers in mid-January.
Hakeem Odoffin had them ahead inside the first minute, and after the Millers maintained a narrow lead, Oliver Rathbone, Shane Ferguson and Washington would get on the scoresheet to seal an impressive 4-0 victory and a vital three-point haul, and they managed to build on that with another commendable point in their last outing, drawing 1-1 away at promotion-chasing Watford following Ferguson's early opener.
Now well rested, having not been involved in FA Cup or Championship action over the weekend, the Millers will return with the aim of completing a double over Sheffield United and continuing their improvement, having already moved five points clear of the drop zone.
© Reuters
They welcome a Blades side who will certainly pose a tough test, having not suffered a single defeat in any competition since that home loss to the Millers in November.
Having already put themselves in a strong position in the fight for automatic promotion to the Premier League this term, Paul Heckingbottom's side have returned to action in formidable form, picking up 19 points from their seven league matches since mid-December, with the only points being dropped in a 1-1 draw away at Queens Park Rangers when John Egan ensured they shared the spoils in injury time.
They would then extend an unbeaten record and make a return to winning ways with a 3-1 beating of Stoke City at Bramall Lane, before hosting Hull City in their last league outing and putting a 17th Championship victory of the season on the board as Daniel Jebbison's fourth-minute goal made the only difference.
Following on from that result, Heckingbottom's men were most recently in action on Sunday in a dramatic FA Cup fourth-round contest away at fifth-tier Wrexham, in which they initially went ahead through Oli McBurnie before going behind twice, and they were trailing deep into injury time until Egan again popped up with a late equaliser to force a replay next week.
In the meantime, the Blades will turn their attention back to the job of securing a top-two finish in the Championship this term, and with a 12-point lead over third-placed Middlesbrough and a game in hand, they can further strengthen their position with another triumph at the weekend.
Team News
© Reuters
Rotherham United had a busy January transfer window, and while key midfielder Dan Barlaser did depart, Bailey Wright and Domingos Quina joined the ranks on deadline day after the previous additions of Sean Morrison, Leo Hjelde, Conor Coventry, Tariqe Fosu and Jordan Hugill.
Quina and Hugill will both be vying for debuts in midfield and up front respectively, while Fosu and Hjelde have already impressed since their recent arrivals, as had Morrison before his season was brought to an abrupt end by an injury, with Wright likely to take his place alongside Cameron Humphreys in the back four as a result.
Taylor may opt to switch to a 4-4-2 system to accommodate Hugill and key man Chiedozie Ogbene up front, while Shane Ferguson and Fosu should again offer quality on the wings.
Although Paul Heckingbottom did not make any additions to his Sheffield United squad in the transfer window, the Blades did manage to retain the services of Sander Berge and Iliman Ndiaye, and they should again play key roles in midfield and attack respectively, with the latter having contributed 10 goals and seven assists in the Championship so far this season.
He could join Oli McBurnie, who earned a first start since returning from injury in the trip to Wrexham, marking that with an early headed goal after hitting the net nine times in 19 league games prior to being sidelined, with Daniel Jebbison unable to keep his place up front as he will begin a three-match suspension for a red card shown in the second half of the cup tie.
Defenders Ciaran Clark, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Enda Stevens and George Baldock should all remain out of action through injuries, alongside midfielder John Fleck, and James McAtee and Tommy Doyle will likely fight to join Berge and key man Oliver Norwood in the engine room, while Jack Robinson should come back into the back three and Wes Foderingham will certainly return between the sticks after Adam Davies was deployed in the cup tie.
Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Peltier, Humphreys, Morrison, Hjelde; Ferguson, Odoffin, Rathbone, Fosu; Hugill, Ogbene
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Foderingham; Ahmedhodzic, Egan, Robinson; Bogle, Berge, Norwood, Doyle, Lowe; McBurnie, Ndiaye
We say: Rotherham United 1-2 Sheffield United
The Millers will have a degree of renewed confidence and do have quality in their ranks, particularly after their January business, but we do not see them toppling Heckingbottom's men and instead anticipate Sheffield United continuing their eye-catching run in the league with three more points at the weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Sam Varley
