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

Aiming to take a big step towards cementing themselves in the top six of the Championship table in the run-in, Hull City will head to Bramall Lane to take on Sheffield United on Saturday.

After back-to-back draws over the Easter weekend, the visitors sit fifth and lead seventh spot by four points, while their hosts find themselves 17th in a six-game winless run.

Match preview

Sheffield United return to Championship action on Saturday aiming to end a winless run and begin to end a disappointing campaign on a positive note.

After setting out to go one better than last season's playoff final defeat and return to the Premier League, the South Yorkshire side have never challenged at the top end of the division, now sitting 17th with five games remaining having earned 51 points, winning 15 and losing 20 of those with only basement side Sheffield Wednesday suffering more defeats.

A positive February, in which they won four of six games, did leave Chris Wilder's men in a position to climb into the top-six picture if they were able to sustain their run, but they are winless in six games since, going on to play out two draws and suffer two defeats before the international break.

Then returning for the Easter Weekend, the Blades led Swansea City 3-1 through Gustavo Hamer, Harrison Burrows and Tom Cannon, only to be pegged back to a 3-3 draw, before visiting Bristol City on Monday and leaving empty-handed as Mark Sykes's first-half goal made the difference in a 1-0 home win.

Now sat 17th heading into the final weeks of the term, 10 points above the bottom three and six points off 12th spot, Sheffield United will hope to end their campaign on a positive note and climb back towards the top half starting with a first home win since relegating rivals Sheffield Wednesday in February.

Their visitors, meanwhile, make the trip across Yorkshire with far more to play for, as they bid to strengthen their grip on a playoff spot with the end of the term nearing.

Hull City have enjoyed a strong season following the summer appointment of Sergej Jakirovic, currently sitting fifth having earned 68 points from their 41 games, with only three sides topping their 63 goals scored and only three bettering their tally of 34 points picked up away from home.

They returned from the international break for the Easter Weekend in a strong top-six position and still in the race for second spot, having headed in with two wins in a three-game span, but the Tigers were only able to manage two draws over the weekend, firstly leading away at Oxford United through Bachir Belloumi only to be pegged back by a Cameron Brannagan goal in a 1-1 draw.

League leaders Coventry City then visited the MKM Stadium on Monday and shared the points as the contest ended in a goalless stalemate, leaving Jakirovic's men four points behind second-placed Ipswich Town, who have seven games left to play to their five.

Now likely left to focus on guaranteeing a playoff place, Hull City remain fifth and four points above seventh-placed Wrexham, and they will aim to take a huge step towards guaranteeing a top-six finish with a return to winning ways at Bramall Lane.

Sheffield United Championship form:

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Hull City Championship form:

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Team News

Sheffield United are set to remain without first-choice goalkeeper Michael Cooper, Sam McCallum, Tyrese Campbell and Kalvin Phillips, while Tom Davies also missed Monday's trip to Bristol City.

Tyler Bindon may come back in from the outset after Leo Hjelde and Mark McGuinness joined mainstay Japhet Tanganga in a new-look back three last time out.

Elsewhere, Jairo Riedewald is likely to return to the midfield from the outset alongside Sydie Peck, while Callum O'Hare, Andre Brooks and talisman Gustavo Hamer, who have all regularly started behind a lone striker this term, will all push to come back in from the outset after Wilder went with a front two of Patrick Bamford and Tom Cannon on Monday.

Hull City may be unchanged from Monday's draw against Coventry, with Akin Famewo, Ryan Giles, Regan Slater and Darko Gyabi remaining sidelined.

Oli McBurnie should lead the attack against his former club with 13 goals and seven assists to his name in 32 Championship appearances this term, while Joe Gelhardt and Matt Crooks are danger men in support.

In the absence of Slater, John Lundstram and Lewis Koumas will compete for midfield places, but Jakirovic may stick with the pairing of Amir Hadziahmetovic and Manchester United loanee Toby Collyer who impressed on Monday.

Sheffield United possible starting lineup:

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

Hull City possible starting lineup:

Pandur; Drameh, Ajayi, Egan, Coyle; Collyer, Hadziahmetovic; Gelhardt, Crooks, Millar; McBurnie

We say: Sheffield United 1-2 Hull City

Needing to bounce back to winning ways to keep themselves in a comfortable position in the top six, we back a dangerous Hull City side to get the better of their hosts who are seemingly cruising towards the end of a disappointing season with no momentum on their side.

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