Championship | Gameweek 29

Jan 24, 2025 at 8pm UK

Bramall Lane

Sheff Utd vs Hull City

Match preview

Sheffield United return to Championship action on Friday with the aim of moving to the top of the table, having bounced back in style in recent weeks after a difficult Christmas period.

The Blades, who are chasing immediate promotion back to the Premier League this season, have enjoyed a strong campaign so far, finishing on a league-high 60 points, with only a two-point deduction denying them top spot after losing ground at the turn of the year.

After an 11-match unbeaten run that culminated in three successive wins before Christmas, Chris Wilder's side saw their momentum halted by defeats to fellow promotion chasers Burnley and Sunderland, as well as a draw with West Bromwich Albion, but they have since climbed back into the top two with three more wins.

After winning 2-1 away to Watford and 2-0 at home to Norwich City, the latter thanks to a Harrison Burrows brace last weekend, the South Yorkshire outfit last visited Swansea City on Tuesday and came from behind to claim all three points as Rhian Brewster equalised early in the second half and Burrows converted a penalty to seal victory.

Sitting a point behind leaders Leeds United, but two clear of Burnley and four clear of Sunderland in the race for automatic promotion, Sheffield United will be hoping a home win at the start of the weekend will give them an edge and strengthen their position, having won 10 of their 13 league games at Bramall Lane.

The visitors, meanwhile, travel across Yorkshire in search of three vital points in their own battle at the other end of the Championship.

Indeed, Hull City will be looking to continue their encouraging start to life under Ruben Selles, who arrived in mid-December with just 15 points from 19 games.

Since then, he has overseen nine Championship outings in which the Tigers have won three and drawn two to close the gap on safety, with their most recent triumph coming at Millwall last weekend when Jake Cooper's second-half own goal proved the only difference between the sides.

Selles' men then hosted in-form Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday but failed to make it two wins in a row, coming away empty-handed as Joe Gelhardt's long-range strike was not enough to spark a comeback after Kenneth Paal and Koki Saito had put the visitors 2-0 up on the hour.

While they will be disappointed with the home defeat, Hull City now trail 21st-placed Derby County by just one point, and with their away form encouraging - only six sides have bettered the 22nd-placed Tigers' tally of four league wins away from home this season - they will be looking for a big scalp on Friday to lift them out of the bottom three.

Recent Performance

Sheffield United Championship form:LDLWWW

Sheffield United form (all competitions):DLWLWW

Hull City Championship form:LWLDWL

Hull City form (all competitions):WLDLWL

Team News

Sheffield United will be without midfielder Oliver Arblaster and striker Kieffer Moore through injury on Friday, with Tom Davies also set to miss out, while key man Gustavo Hamer is suspended through accumulation of yellow cards.

However, injury concerns have eased in some areas, with Tyrese Campbell coming off the bench in Tuesday's win, while midfielder Vinicius Souza and winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi are both close to full fitness.

Indeed, Souza could return to the engine room alongside Sydie Peck, while Campbell could lead the line with Callum O'Hare, Rhian Brewster and either Rak-Sakyi, Andre Brooks or new loan signing Ben Brereton Diaz, who scored six goals in 14 Premier League appearances during his first loan spell with the Blades last season.

Hull City have an unenviable injury list of their own ahead of Friday's trip, with Charlie Hughes, Lewie Coyle, Kasey Palmer, Mohamed Belloumi, Liam Millar and Ryan Longman all confined to the treatment room.

Ruben Selles could make changes to the starting XI that lost to QPR on Tuesday, with Ivor Pandur set to return between the sticks after Carl Rushworth's recall from Brighton & Hove Albion, while Xavier Simons could take the place of former Sheffield United man Regan Slater in midfield.

Elsewhere, January signings Matt Crooks, Kyle Joseph and Nordin Amrabat will battle for places in attack alongside Mason Burstow after Joe Gelhardt, Gustavo Puerta and Harry Vaughan all started behind Joao Pedro in midweek.

Possible starting lineup

Sheffield United possible starting lineup:

Cooper; Gilchrist, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Burrows; Souza, Peck; Brewster, O'Hare, Brooks; Campbell

Hull City possible starting lineup:

Pandur; Drameh, Burns, Jones, McLoughlin; Simons, Alzate; Gelhardt, Puerta, Burstow; Crooks