Preview: Charlton Athletic vs Sheffield United - prediction, team news, lineups

Now separated by three points in the bottom half of the Championship table, Charlton Athletic and Sheffield United will do battle at The Valley on Saturday.

Both sides lost in FA Cup action last weekend, with the visitors now hoping to make it three straight league wins to continue their climb up the table.

Match preview

Charlton Athletic head back into Championship action aiming to end a five-game winless run in all competitions and a four-match run in the league.

After a six-game rut which produced just one point, the Addicks were able to bounce back to winning ways before Christmas, beating Oxford United 1-0 to move onto 27 points from 21 outings.

Nathan Jones's side have failed to kick on since, though, ending 2025 with defeats to Norwich City and Portsmouth, before playing out draws against Coventry City and Blackburn Rovers early in the new year, having led 2-0 through Charlie Kelman's brace in the latter before being pegged back by a Moussa Baradji brace.

A tough FA Cup third-round tie at home to Chelsea then followed on Saturday, and the Addicks took a 5-1 beating, despite pulling back to 2-1 in the second half through Miles Leaburn.

Now returning to action in 19th spot, just five points above the relegation zone having only earned six points from their last 10 games, Charlton Athletic will be desperate to kickstart a turnaround and climb away from the bottom three on Saturday.

Their visitors, meanwhile, head to The Valley in contrasting form, having leapfrogged the hosts with an upturn in recent months.

Following a dismal start to their second straight Championship season and bid for promotion, Sheffield United have climbed to 16th spot as the division's form side, amassing 22 points from the last 10 games to move onto 32 from 25 outings.

Chris Wilder's men would climb clear of the bottom three with a strong festive period, beating Birmingham City and Stoke City either side of a Boxing Day loss to Wrexham before kicking off 2025 with a 3-1 triumph over Leicester City thanks to goals from Japhet Tanganga, Tom Cannon and Callum O'Hare.

After a postponement of a meeting with Oxford United, they hosted Mansfield Town in the FA Cup last weekend and fell to a 4-3 defeat, falling 4-1 down before pulling within one through Patrick Bamford's finish and a Nathan Moriah-Welsh own goal.

Left disappointed by that home defeat to third-tier opposition, but with focus fully on a continued climb up the Championship, with the top half five points away, Sheffield United will hope to make it three straight league wins on Saturday.

Charlton Athletic Championship form:

DWLLDD

Charlton Athletic form (all competitions):

WLLDDL

Sheffield United Championship form:

DLWLWW

Sheffield United form (all competitions):

LWLWWL

Team News

Charlton Athletic will likely remain without Joe Edwards, Kayne Ramsay, Reece Burke, Onel Hernandez and Matt Godden on Saturday due to ongoing injuries.

Defender Amari'i Bell and attacker Tyreece Campbell are fresh doubts after last weekend and may also miss out, while striker Lyndon Dykes is in contention to earn a debut after arriving from Birmingham City on Thursday.

Charlie Kelman will continue in attack, though, having netted a brace in their last league game, whiles Miles Leaburn will hope to stay in after his goal against Chelsea.

Sheffield United are still without midfielder Sydie Peck, who is confined to the treatment room.

After rotating heavily for the FA Cup, Chris Wilder may revert to the same starting XI from their New Year's Day win, with Patrick Bamford coming back in to lead the line from the start having scored six goals in 11 appearances since his November arrival.

Femi Seriki, Tyler Bindon, Japhet Tanganga and Sam McCallum could all come back into the defence, while Jairo Riedewald should retake his place in the engine room.

Charlton Athletic possible starting lineup:

Kaminski; Gillesphey, Jones, Gough; Bree, Carey, Coventry, Rankin-Costello, Apter; Leaburn, Kelman

Sheffield United possible starting lineup:

Cooper; Seriki, Tanganga, Bindon, McCallum; Soumare, Riedewald; Hamer, O'Hare, Cannon; Bamford

We say: Charlton Athletic 1-2 Sheffield United

Given the contrasting trajectories of the two sides in the Championship, we back the visitors to make it three straight league wins on Saturday and continue their climb up the table at The Valley.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.