Sheffield United will welcome Coventry City to Bramall Lane on Monday for a Boxing Day Championship clash.
Having won both of their games since the return to action following the World Cup break, the hosts sit second in the league table, three points off top spot, while their visitors climbed to eighth place after a dramatic win over West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday.
Match preview
© Reuters
After falling short on a return to the Premier League in the playoff semi-finals last season, Sheffield United set about to win promotion this time around, and they enjoyed a strong start to the campaign and headed into the World Cup break in an enviable position, with a 1-0 victory over Cardiff City seeing them sit second with 38 points from 21 outings.
On their return to action earlier in December, Paul Heckingbottom's side hosted Huddersfield Town and came out with all three points, as Billy Sharp's 15th-minute goal proved to be the only difference between the two sides.
Such a result saw them move five points clear of third-placed Blackburn Rovers, and after the Lancashire outfit triumphed at the weekend, the Blades set out to restore their cushion in a trip to Wigan Athletic on Monday, with John Egan giving them an early lead before Sharp was again on the scoresheet to double their advantage in the second half.
Nathan Broadhead would pull a goal back for their hosts soon after the hour mark, but Heckingbottom's men stood strong to see out a 13th league win of the campaign, taking their tally to 44 points at the halfway stage of the second-tier season.
Now once again with a five-point cushion inside the automatic promotion spots, and trailing leaders Burnley by three points, the Blades will go in search of a fourth straight Championship triumph on Boxing Day to further strengthen their position in the fight to climb back to the top flight.
© Reuters
Coventry City make the trip to Bramall Lane having majorly improved their standing in the Championship recently, after previously occupying the foot of the table following a seven-game winless run to start the campaign.
Mark Robins's side would quickly climb with an improved run, picking up four victories from their next six league outings, before heading into the World Cup break in a run of four straight wins, beating Blackburn Rovers, Watford, Wigan Athletic and Queens Park Rangers.
The halt in league action arguably came at a bad time for the Sky Blues, and they returned a month later with a trip to Reading and lost 1-0, before only managing to draw 3-3 at home to Swansea City, despite leading by three goals to nil through Jonathan Panzo, Jamie Allen and Viktor Gyokeres until after the hour mark.
Aiming to bounce back from the disappointment of those results and return to winning ways in one of their games in hand, Robins's men faced the tough test of a meeting with a resurgent West Bromwich Albion side on Wednesday, and the game looked set to end in a goalless draw until the Sky Blues won a 93rd-minute penalty, which Gyokeres converted to ensure his side came away with all three points.
Thanks to that late winner, Coventry sit eighth in England's second tier and just a single point outside of the playoff places with a game in hand on every side above them, and they will now look to take an impressive scalp at Bramall Lane and continue their climb.
Team News
© Reuters
Sheffield United will remain without defenders Jack Robinson, Jack O'Connell and Rhys Norrington-Davies due to injuries, while midfielder John Fleck and forward Rhian Brewster are also sidelined.
Senegal international Iliman Ndiaye remains a star man going forward, having contributed nine goals and four assists in the Championship so far this season, while Oli McBurnie will be vying to come back in from the outset, having also hit the net nine times in the league, although captain Billy Sharp may again be preferred up front after scoring in consecutive matches.
Tommy Doyle recently returned from an injury issue and will also be fighting to regain a starting berth after Oliver Norwood, fellow Manchester City loanee James McAtee and the also returning Sander Berge were preferred in midfield last time out, while Ciaran Clark should again join John Egan and Anel Ahmedhodzic in the back three in Robinson's absence.
Coventry City's line will again be led by star man Viktor Gyokeres, who leads the league's scoring charts with 11 goals in 22 Championship games this term, while Callum O'Hare will also look to cause problems for the Blades defence.
Key centre-back Kyle McFadzean is still recovering from a long-term injury and will not be fit to feature on Monday, meaning Jonathan Panzo, Michael Rose and Callum Doyle will again line up in a back three.
Brazilian midfielder Gustavo Hamer remains a key man in the engine room and should again be partnered by Ben Sheaf, while Jamie Allen is also likely to feature and should join O'Hare in lending attacking support.
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Foderingham; Ahmedhodzic, Egan, Clark; Baldock, Berge, Norwood, McAtee, Stevens; Ndiaye, Sharp
Coventry City possible starting lineup:
Wilson; Rose, Doyle, Hyam; Burroughs, Hamer, Sheaf, Bidwell; Allen, O'Hare; Gyokeres
We say: Sheffield United 2-0 Coventry City
The Sky Blues will arrive with plenty of optimism and do have the tools to hurt Sheffield United, but we see the hosts having the quality to dominate Robins's men on home turf and take all three points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Sam Varley
