Preview: Norwich City vs Sheffield United - prediction, team news, lineups

In search of a third straight league victory after their FA Cup round-of-16 defeat at the weekend, Norwich City will welcome Sheffield United to Carrow Road on Wednesday.

The hosts lost to top-flight Leeds United on Sunday and return to league action in 17th spot in the Championship table thanks to an eye-catching run in recent months, while their visitors are four points better off in 11th place.

Match preview

Norwich City head back into Championship action on Wednesday aiming to continue an impressive climb up the division under the management of Philippe Clement.

After a dismal start to the season, Clement arrived in mid-November, inheriting a side sat in the drop zone on just nine points from 15 outings, and he has overseen one of the league's form sides since.

Indeed, from 20 league outings under their new boss, the Canaries have managed 11 victories and 36 points to climb to 17th place, including seven wins from their last nine second-tier matches most recently handing 2-0 defeats to Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City with Anis Ben Slimane and Ali Ahmed on the scoresheet against the latter in late February.

An FA Cup round-of-16 tie against Premier League Leeds United then followed on Sunday, and the Norfolk outfit failed to progress, succumbing to a 3-0 loss at Elland Road as Sean Longstaff, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Joel Piroe got on the scoresheet for the hosts.

Now with their focus fully on the Championship, having climbed into lower mid-table with a much-improved run and within four points of the top half, Norwich City will hope to get back to winning ways and make it three straight league victories on Wednesday.

Their visitors, meanwhile, head to Carrow Road aiming to strengthen their own top half standing after a similar climb away from the threat of relegation in recent months.

After only missing out on an immediate return to the Premier League in the playoff final last season, Sheffield United sat in the bottom three on just 10 points from 15 Championship games, but they have since climbed into the top half by amassing 39 points in 21 attempts since mid-November.

Having overcome the dismal start, Chris Wilder's side kept any faint playoff hopes alive with three victories from a four-game span in February, beating Portsmouth and Sheffield Wednesday to relegate their rivals, and bouncing back from a setback with a 2-0 away triumph over Queens Park Rangers thanks to first-half goals from Callum O'Hare and Tyrese Campbell.

Aiming to continue their unlikely climb towards the top six and make it four wins from five, the Blades hosted strugglers West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, but they failed to come out on top, despite leading through a George Campbell own goal, as Campbell himself levelled for the visitors seven minutes from time.

Now sitting 11th and eight points behind sixth-placed Wrexham having played a game more, Sheffield United look likely to fall short in their top-six pursuit but will at least aim to bounce back in midweek and continue to strengthen their top-half standing in what has been a season of two halves.

Norwich City Championship form:

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Norwich City form (all competitions):

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Sheffield United Championship form:

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Team News

Norwich City continue to contend with a long injury list, as Harry Amass, Mirko Topic, Pelle Mattsson, Ante Crnac, Papa Amadou Diallo, Matej Jurasek, Oscar Schwartau, Jeffrey Schlupp, Mohamed Toure and Jovon Makama are all set to remain sidelined.

In the absence of Makama and Toure in particular, Mathias Kvistgaarden should continue to lead the attack, while Slimane may come back in from the start in support having managed five goals and five assists in his last 12 appearances.

Ali Ahmed has been another danger man since his January arrival, while Sam Field should continue to join mainstay Kenny McLean in front of the back four.

Sheffield United are without Gustavo Hamer, who is suspended after reaching 10 league yellow cards for the season last time out, while Kalvin Phillips is eligible after his three-game ban but could miss out through injury alongside Tom Davies, Sam McCallum and first-choice goalkeeper Michael Cooper.

Patrick Bamford is a fresh doubt after being forced off at half time against West Brom, but he should be deemed fit to lead the line again, while Adam Davies will continue between the sticks with Cooper set to miss the remainder of the campaign.

In Hamer's absence, Tom Cannon may join Callum O'Hare and Andre Brooks behind the lone front man, while Joe Rothwell's wait for a first Blades start may continue with Jairo Riedewald and Sydie Peck preferred in the engine room.

Norwich City possible starting lineup:

Kovacevic; Fisher, McConville, Cordoba, Chrisene; Field, McLean; Slimane, Maghoma, Ahmed; Kvistgaarden

Sheffield United possible starting lineup:

Davies; Seriki, Tanganga, Bindon, Burrows; Riedewald, Peck; Brooks, O'Hare, Cannon; Bamford

We say: Norwich City 2-1 Sheffield United

While Norwich City's FA Cup tie on Sunday may have knocked an already thin squad, given their extensive fitness concerns, the Canaries have been formidable in the Championship in recent months.

We fancy them to overcome a Sheffield United side facing a tough midweek trip on the back of a harmful draw at the weekend which may have cost them any realistic hopes of crashing the top six in the run-in.

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