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

Aiming to bounce back to winning ways and return to the top six in the Championship table, Wrexham will travel to Bramall Lane to take on Sheffield United on Saturday.

The visitors failed to make the most of their game in hand on Tuesday, falling to a defeat to stay outside of the playoff spots on goal difference, while their hosts sit 15th after an away draw last weekend.

Match preview

Sheffield United head back into action on Saturday aiming to end a three-game winless run in the Championship and break back into the top half.

After 38 games of the season, the Blades find themselves 15th with 50 points on the board having managed 15 victories alongside 18 defeats, after only falling short of a return to the Premier League last time around in the playoff final with their gap to the top six now standing at 10 points.

Chris Wilder's side did keep their faint playoff hopes alive with a strong run in February, beating Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Queens Park Rangers in a four-game span, but they have failed to kick on since, going on to draw at home to West Bromwich Albion and lose 2-1 away at Norwich City despite leading early through Jairo Riedewald.

A trip to Birmingham City then followed last time out, and they faced an uphill task after Femi Seriki's red card and Marvin Ducksch's goal from the resulting free kick, but the Blades were at least able to leave with a point as Patrick Bamford levelled on the stroke of half time and they stood strong in the second half to see out a 1-1 draw with 10 men.

Now back in the bottom half but only trailing 12th-placed Norwich by one point and 10th-placed Birmingham by three, Sheffield United can quickly return to the right end of the table with a return to winning ways on Saturday, albeit with any chances of breaking into the top-six picture all but gone.

Their visitors, on the other hand, head to South Yorkshire in the midst of a battle for top-six places, having failed to regain their playoff position in midweek.

On the back of three consecutive promotions from the National League to the Championship, Wrexham have again enjoyed an impressive season and find themselves in the picture for a final ascent to England's top flight, having earned 60 points from their 38 outings thus far.

Phil Parkinson's side have won 16 of those games with only the division's top three having suffered fewer than their 10 defeats, albeit with two of those coming in the last three games to see them drop out of the top six.

On the back of three straight wins in February and a narrow FA Cup exit at the hands of Chelsea, the Red Dragons hosted fellow playoff hopefuls Hull City in mid-March and suffered a harmful 2-1 defeat, before bouncing back by beating Welsh rivals Swansea City 2-0 last Friday thanks to Nathan Broadhead's opener and a Liam Cullen own goal.

Then aiming to build on that result and climb back into the top six with their FA Cup-related game in hand, Wrexham visited Watford on Tuesday and left empty-handed from an eventual 3-1 defeat, but still only trailing sixth-placed Southampton on goal difference and fifth-placed Hull by three points, they can improve their standing in the playoff race again with an away win on Saturday.

Sheffield United Championship form:

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Wrexham Championship form:

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Wrexham form (all competitions):

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Team News

Sheffield United are unable to call on right-back Seriki, who was sent off in last week's trip to Birmingham, while first-choice goalkeeper Michael Cooper remains sidelined alongside Sam McCallum and Kalvin Phillips.

Adam Davies will continue to deputise between the sticks in Cooper's absence, while Ki-Jana Hoever will come in on the right-hand side of the back four.

Bamford will continue to lead their line, having managed nine goals in 20 Championship appearances this term, while Gustavo Hamer is back in contention after a suspension and may rejoin Callum O'Hare and Andre Brooks behind the front man.

Wrexham are without Liberato Cacace, Matty James, Ben Sheaf and Kieffer Moore due to ongoing injuries.

In the absence of key front man Moore, Sam Smith led the line with support from Nathan Broadhead and Oliver Rathbone in midweek, but Josh Windass, Davis Keillor-Dunn and Jay Rodriguez will also compete for attacking spots.

Elsewhere, defender Zak Vyner may continue in a new-look role in the middle of their 3-4-3 setup alongside Lewis O'Brien with Max Cleworth, Dominic Hyam and Callum Doyle preferred in a back three.

Sheffield United possible starting lineup:

Davies; Hoever, Tanganga, Bindon, Burrows; Riedewald, Peck; Brooks, O'Hare, Hamer; Bamford

Wrexham possible starting lineup:

Okonkwo; Cleworth, Hyam, Doyle; Longman, O'Brien, Vyner, Thomason; Broadhead, Smith, Windass

We say: Sheffield United 1-1 Wrexham

In their bid to return to the top six, Wrexham face a stern test against a Sheffield United side who boast plenty of quality and are particularly proficient at home.

We do see Phil Parkinson's men causing the Blades problems of their own though and see a share of the points as most likely in South Yorkshire.

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