Aiming to end a seven-match winless streak and move closer to escaping the bottom three of the Championship table, Derby County head to Bramall Lane to take on Sheffield United on Saturday.

The visitors sit 23rd on just six points from 11 matches in the midst of a rut while their hosts climbed to 11th spot with a victory last weekend.

Match preview

Sheffield United return to Bramall Lane on Saturday in search of consecutive Championship wins for the first time this season with the top eight in their sights.

The Blades endured a disappointing first run of the season, as they headed into the September and October international break with just nine points on the board from eight outings on the back of three straight defeats - two in the league and one in the EFL Cup to fourth-tier Fleetwood Town.

Chris Wilder's men have shown signs of life on their return to action, though, firstly thrashing Lincoln City 3-0 before visiting Portsmouth and coming from 2-0 down to 2-2 with 10 men after a first-half red card, only for the hosts to snatch all three points with an injury-time winner at Fratton Park.

A trip to Bristol City then followed last time out, and the South Yorkshire outfit bounced back to winning ways, seeing out a 1-0 victory having led throughout thanks to Oliver Arblaster's fifth-minute goal.

With clear signs of encouragement in recent displays, and having moved into 1th spot and within two points on the playoffs in a tight mid-table group, Sheffield United will aim to follow that away win up with another three-point haul at Bramall Lane on Saturday.

Their visitors, meanwhile, make the trip to South Yorkshire aiming to stop the rot and reverse their fortunes after a poor start to the season.

After heading into a second full season under John Eustace with optimism on the back of an eighth-placed Championship finish in 2025-26, Derby County have failed to get going thus far, managing just six points from their first 11 matches to sit 23rd.

The Rams have won just one and lost seven of those, with no side scoring fewer than their nine goals and only three conceding fewer than the 20 they have allowed.

Eustace's men last tasted victory at the beginning of September and have since gone winless in seven league outings, most recently hosting Stoke City on the back of a 4-1 loss to QPR and again coming away empty-handed as Luke Graham scored the only goal in a 1-0 away win.

Already sat three points behind 21st spot and five worse off than 20th, Derby County will be desperate to arrest their slump at the weekend and begin a climb up the table.

Sheffield United Championship form:

Sheffield United form (all competitions):

Derby County Championship form:

Team News

Sheffield United's injury troubles have eased in recent weeks, but they remain without Femi Seriki and Jamie Shackleton.

Hamza Choudhury is back in contention after a suspension, but Wilder may stick with an unchanged back four of Japhet Tanganga, Mark McGuinness, Liam Kitching and Harrison Burrows, who featured after his return from injury.

Patrick Bamford should return and lead the line, while Sydie Peck will hope to regain a midfield spot having been reduced to a substitute appearance last weekend, although Arblaster scored and Kalvin Phillips impressed again at Bristol City in his absence.

Derby County remain badly hit by injuries, with Matt Clarke, Craig Forsyth, Sondre Langas, Charlie Taylor, Eiran Cashin and Patrick Agyemang all sidelined alongside first-choice goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.

Those absences of the back forced the Rams into a makeshift back four of Joe Ward, Ryan Nyambe, Dion Sanderson and Ryan Hedges last time out, although former Blade Jack Robinson has arrived to bolster their options in defence.

Josh Vickers will continue to deputise between the sticks, while Carlton Morris should again lead the line with support from mainstays Bobby Clark and Sammie Szmodics.

Sheffield United possible starting lineup:

Cooper; Tanganga, McGuinness, Kitching, Burrows; Phillips, Peck; Arblaster, Brereton Diaz; Cannon, Bamford

Derby County possible starting lineup:

Vickers; Ward, Sanderson, Robinson, Hedges; Mowatt, Ozoh; Brewster, Clark, Szmodics; Morris

We say: Sheffield United 2-0 Derby County

Sheffield United appear to be gradually building confidence and starting to make their quality count more, and in their search for back-to-back wins they meet a depleted Derby County side travelling to Bramall Lane low on confidence. We fancy Wilder's men to take the opportunity to put three more points on the board.

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