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

Both aiming to build on important victories at the weekend, Sheffield United and Coventry City will square off at Bramall Lane on Wednesday.

The visitors stretched their lead at the top of the Championship table to three points by beating West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, while their hosts moved back within six points of the playoff spots with a Steel City Derby win over Sheffield Wednesday.

Match preview

Sheffield United return to action at Bramall Lane on Wednesday aiming to make it three straight victories and continue their climb towards the Championship's playoff battle.

After last season's playoff final loss and a dismal start to their second campaign back in England's second tier, the Blades have climbed out of the drop zone and into mid-table with one of the division's strongest runs in recent months, picking up 11 wins and 35 points from their last 18 outings since mid-November.

That includes three victories from their last four games, only interrupted by a 3-1 home loss to second-placed Middlesbrough, before Chris Wilder's side bounced back in a 1-0 away win over Portsmouth thanks to Andre Brooks's injury-time goal.

Rivals Sheffield Wednesday then visited Bramall Lane on Sunday, and the Blades would continue their climb, confirming their visitors' relegation with a 2-1 triumph, having led 2-0 at the interval through Patrick Bamford and Harrison Burrows and stood strong in the second half after Kalvin Phillips's 49th-minute red card.

Now sitting six points behind sixth spot, but still down in 14th place with plenty of work still to do if they are to mount a surprise charge into the playoffs in the final months of the campaign, Sheffield United will bid to make it three straight league wins on Wednesday with a chance to break into the top half for the first time this season.

Their visitors, meanwhile, head to Yorkshire aiming to build on back-to-back wins of their own and give their automatic promotion hopes a major boost.

In their bid to finally make a return to the Premier League after last season's playoff exit, Coventry City have enjoyed a strong campaign thus far, sitting in the Championship's top two for almost the entirety of the term having earned 65 points from their 33 games thus far, scoring a league-high tally of 68 goals in that time.

The Sky Blues did hit a blip in late January and early February, seeing their lead in the promotion race reduced by consecutive away losses to Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers and a draw with strugglers Oxford United.

Frank Lampard's side would bounce back with a crucial 3-1 home triumph over then-leaders Middlesbrough to regain top spot, before visiting West Bromwich Albion on Saturday and cruising to a 2-0 win thanks to first-half goals from Ephron Mason-Clark and Jack Rudoni.

Sheffield United Championship form:

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Coventry City Championship form:

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Team News

Sheffield United are without midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who was sent off in the weekend's win over Sheffield Wednesday, while fellow January loan arrival Joe Rothwell is on the final game of his own suspension.

With Tom Davies still sidelined and Jairo Riedewald yet to return to full fitness, Phillips's spot alongside key midfielder Sydie Peck is up for grabs between Oliver Arblaster and Djibril Soumare.

Bamford should again lead the line with support from Brooks, Callum O'Hare and Gustavo Hamer, having moved onto eight goals in 16 league appearances this season with the early opener in the Steel City Derby.

Coventry City may be unchanged from Saturday's win over West Brom, with goalkeeper Oliver Dovin remaining the only enforced absentee.

Haji Wright and Ellis Simms will compete to lead the line, but the former should get the nod having moved onto 13 league goals for the season by scoring all three in their 3-1 win over Middlesbrough.

The preferred front man will have support from Ephron-Mason Clark, Rudoni and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, while January loan arrival Frank Onyeka should again join mainstay Matt Grimes in the engine room.

Sheffield United possible starting lineup:

Cooper; Seriki, Tanganga, Bindon, Burrows; Peck, Soumare; Brooks, O'Hare, Hamer; Bamford

Coventry City possible starting lineup:

Rushworth; Van Ewijk, Latibeaudiere, Thomas, Dasilva; Onyeka, Grimes; Sakamoto, Rudoni, Mason-Clark; Wright

We say: Sheffield United 2-3 Coventry City

Wednesday certainly presents a tough test in Coventry's promotion and Championship title bid against a Sheffield United side climbing towards the right end of the table.

The Sky Blues seem back to their dangerous best in recent weeks after their setback, though, and we fancy them to come out on top in a close encounter at Bramall Lane.

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