Sheffield United know they can return to the Championship summit tonight if they beat fellow Yorkshire side, Hull City at Bramall Lane.
Chris Wilder’s Blades currently sit one point behind Yorkshire rivals Leeds United, and two ahead of Burnley ahead of this weekend’s fixtures.
Burnley host Leeds on Monday night, making this fixture critical for the Blades to take control of the race for promotion and the league title.
The visitors from East Yorkshire, meanwhile, are making steady progress under new management, and know that a win will take them as high as 18th in the league table.
Since Ruben Selles joined as manager seven weeks ago, The Tigers have enjoyed a mixed run of form, with good performances and important points against Leeds, Millwall and Blackburn interspersed with disappointing defeats against fellow strugglers Preston, and League Two local rivals Doncaster in the FA Cup.
Selles’ team currently sit 22nd, just one point behind Derby County and safety, but have not won at Bramall Lane in the league since 2010, with the Blades coming out on top in six of the last seven meetings between the two teams.
Chris Wilder’s side will be further boosted by two attacking options signing for the club this week, with Tom Cannon joining from Stoke City, and Ben Brereton Diaz arriving from Southampton.
The Tigers have also strengthened up front in recent weeks, adding attacking options with the arrivals of Joe Gelhardt, Lincoln and Nordin Amrabat on a free transfer from the Greek side, AEK Athens.
In his pre-match press conference, United manager Chris Wilder suggested that the previously injured duo of Vini Souza and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi would play a role in tonight’s fixture.
Wilder said: “To get those boys back is fabulous, and the same with Tyrese [Campbell], with the impact he had on Tuesday night as well, but it isn’t straight into 95 minutes.
Speaking in the Hull City press conference before tonight’s fixture, Tigers manager Ruben Selles said: “I am going to go there and try and get the three points – this is what I always do no matter who is in front of us.
“I think Sheffield United has a great manager and the team is solid and that’s why they’re in the top two. He have some good players and have a good tempos in the game. But we are competitive, and we will go there and try to make our game and try to be our very best which will give us chances to win the game. “
