Preview: Sheffield United vs Sheffield Wednesday - prediction, team news, lineups

Sheffield United will welcome rivals Sheffield Wednesday to Bramall Lane on Sunday for the second Steel City Derby of the season.

The hosts will go in search of a fourth straight derby win to narrow their gap to the top six in the Championship table, having won the reverse fixture 3-0 away from home, while a loss would confirm the visitors' relegation if Saturday's results do not do that beforehand.

Match preview

Sheffield United head into the weekend aiming to complete a second consecutive double over their city rivals and continue a climb up the Championship table.

After a poor start to their second season back in the Championship after last year's playoff final defeat, the Blades would kickstart a climb out of the relegation zone by beating Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 at Hillsborough in November.

That is one of 10 wins that Chris Wilder's side have managed in their last 17 league games, having earned 32 points in that time, climbing to 15th spot in the process with 42 points now on the board from 32 outings.

After seeing an unbeaten streak halted in a home defeat to second-placed Middlesbrough, the Blades visited Portsmouth last weekend and looked set to play out a goalless stalemate, only for Andre Brooks to pop up with a 91st-minute winner to snatch all three points.

Now sitting 15th despite their poor start and only trailing the playoff places by six points with 14 games left to play, Sheffield United will hope to make it four straight Steel City Derby wins to further boost their outside playoff hopes and climb towards the top half.

Their visitors, meanwhile, make the trip across the city aiming to avenge November's home derby defeat and avoid succumbing to relegation in their rivals' home.

Sheffield Wednesday look set to see their drop to League One sealed imminently, having endured a dismal campaign thus far, entering with a limited squad and going into administration in October with points deductions totalling 18 points.

Having managed just one win from their 32 games alongside 23 defeats, the Owls are rooted to the foot of the table on -7 points, 35 behind 23rd spot and 41 adrift of safety, having now lost their last nine league games dating back to New Year's Day.

After failing to score in the first eight of those, Henrik Pedersen's side hosted Millwall last weekend and took a surprise lead through Jamal Lowe, only to be pegged back by a 72nd-minute own goal before Macaulay Langstaff quickly netted the decisive goal for the visitors.

Now on the brink of an inevitable drop to the third tier, with a loss on Sunday confirming their relegation if it is not already sealed by other results on Saturday, Sheffield Wednesday will at least bid to delay the drop and regain Steel City bragging rights with a first derby win since February 2012.

Sheffield United Championship form:

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Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:

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Team News

Sheffield United remain without suspended midfielder Joe Rothwell, who was sent off on debut off the bench against Middlesbrough, while Sam McCallum and Tom Davies remain confined to the treatment room.

Chris Wilder should field a similar starting XI from last weekend's win at Portsmouth, although Sydie Peck and Jairo Riedewald will both push to join Manchester City loanee Kalvin Phillips in midfield with Riedewald having returned to contention after an injury layoff.

Patrick Bamford should again lead the line, with Andre Brooks, who has scored four goals in the last five games, Tom Cannon, Gustavo Hamer, Callum O'Hare and Tyrese Campbell all competing for attacking spots around him.

Sheffield Wednesday remain hit by injuries, with Pierce Charles, Di'Shon Bernard, Ernie Weaver, Dominic Iorfa, Max Lowe, Nathaniel Chalobah and Sean Fusire all set to miss out again.

Goalkeeper Murphy Cooper is the latest to join the ranks in the treatment room, with the Owls having since added emergency loanee Seny Dieng for Sunday's game, making him their seventh player to don the gloves in the Championship this term.

Jamal Lowe and Jerry Yates will both hope to continue up front, with the former having ended the team's goal drought last time out, while Liam Cooper will return to the defence from the start.

Sheffield United possible starting lineup:

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

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:

Dieng; Palmer, Otegbayo, Cooper, Adaramola; Ingelsson, Heskey; McNeill, Lowe, Kobacki; Yates

We say: Sheffield United 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday

While derbies like the Steel City rivalry can often be cagey affairs closer than the quality of the two sides suggest, we can only envisage Sheffield United cruising to another win over their depleted neighbours on Sunday, as they did at Hillsborough late last year.

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