Sheffield United

Both Sheffield United and Preston North End will be dismayed by their previous losses last time out and will be hoping to make amends at Bramall Lane on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Blades were handed a 3-1 loss to allow Blackburn to escape relegation, while Preston's close 2-1 encounter with Birmingham City went the way of the Blues.

The two are currently level on points at 57 in the midtable - can one pull away?

• Sheffield United have only lost two of their last 22 home league matches against Preston (W14 D6), winning three of their last four (D1) since a 0-1 reverse in April 2018.

• After their 3-2 win in October, Preston are looking to complete only a fourth ever league double over Sheffield United, after 1894-95, 1896-97, and 2017-18.

• Sheffield United have only lost their final home league match in one of their last 10 Championship seasons; however, that was to Preston in 2017-18 (0-1).

• Preston haven't won their final away league game in any of the last three seasons (D1 L2) since a 3-1 win at Barnsley in 2021-22.

• Paul Heckingbottom has won just one of his five previous league games against former side Sheffield United (D1 L3), although that was this season's reverse meeting with Preston (3-2 in October).

Blades boss Chris Wilder speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield after his side lost 3-1 to Blackburn:

"Miles off of it, no energy, no sharpness to our play at all. The first goal was always going to be important, they've had some decent results. They're compact, they're organised, they hit you on the break.

"We had to get the first goal but we didn't and we were loose in terms of our passing. They broke on us and if we defend like that then they are going to punish us. There was no energy in the middle of the park and just the looseness about our general play.

"We've not defended well enough at all, we've not got out to stop crosses we've not defended in the box, we've not defended well enough as a back four. From 3-0 down at half-time is a long way to come back.

"We changed the shape [in the second half], we played more direct and there was more energy about us. We went to the end but it's not going to be a pat on the back and a congratulations, the first half was not good enough. I wasn't expecting it we were expecting to finish on a high to try and get to 60 points tonight and to get to 66 and that would still be an achievement in my eyes.

"But it was lethargic approach from us. We've got to get it right for Saturday because I don't want everyone to feel like this in our last home game. We've got to own it and we've got to move on."

Image source, Opta

Blackburn will hope to secure their Championship status for another season when they visit Sheffield United on Wednesday night (kick-off 19:45 BST).

Rovers are 21st and five points clear of 22nd-placed Oxford United with two games to play, while the U's have three fixtures remaining.

If Blackburn win and Oxford fail to do so at home to Wrexham, Michael O'Neill's side will be safe from relegation.

Blackburn have lost just one of their past seven games (W2 D4), while the Blades, who cannot reach the play-offs or go down, have won two on the bounce to recover from a six-match winless run (D3 L3).

• Sheffield United are unbeaten in their previous seven home league games against Blackburn (W5 D2) since a 2-1 loss in January 1994 in the Premier League.

• Blackburn have lost six of their past nine league games against Sheffield United (W2 D1), going down 3-1 at Ewood Park in this season's reverse fixture.

• Sheffield United have both scored (20 goals) and conceded (15) in each of their past 10 home league games, their longest run since November 1970 (also 10). The Blades last did so in 11 straight home league matches in August 1954.

• Blackburn Rovers haven't lost their final away league game in any of the previous five seasons (W3 D2) since a 2-3 defeat at Luton in 2019-20. Their final away match of last season was a 1-1 draw at Sheffield United.

• Chris Wilder has lost none of his five league meetings with Blackburn as Sheffield United manager (W4 D1); his only league defeat to Rovers came as Middlesbrough boss in January 2022 (0-1).

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder spoke to BBC Radio Sheffield following their 2-0 win at Watford.

"We needed that type of performance. We made really good, experienced, intelligent decisions," he said.

"Getting the first goal was really important and to double it up pretty quickly was great.

"We put bodies on the line. We made tackles when we had to, we made recovery runs when we had to, and made really good decisions with the ball.

"I never felt a threat from them in the last 15 or 20 minutes."

Image source, Opta

Sheffield United will hope to officially confirm their status as a Championship club for another season when they visit Watford on Saturday (kick-off 15:00 BST).

The Blades are 10 points clear of the relegation zone with four games to play and need a win to guarantee survival - although a draw or even defeat would be enough should Oxford lose at Derby.

Chris Wilder's side ended a run of six games without a win (D3 L3) by beating Hull 2-1 last time out.

As for the Hornets, their hopes of a play-off place are all but over as they sit 11 points behind sixth-placed Hull with only four games remaining - and have failed to win any of their past four (D2 L2).

• Watford have lost their previous four league games against Sheffield United, having been unbeaten in the previous six against the Blades (W4 D2).

• Sheffield United won this exact fixture 2-1 last season, having failed to score in each of their previous four league visits to Watford (D1 L3).

• Since winning four in a row between December 2025 and January 2026, Watford have only won three of their past 17 games in the Championship (D7 L7).

• Sheffield United have only kept two clean sheets in their past 20 Championship matches – indeed, no team in the division has kept fewer than the Blades since Boxing Day 2025.

• Imran Louza has been directly involved in 16 goals in the Championship this season (seven goals, nine assists), just one fewer than the most by a Watford player across their previous 10 league campaigns (17 by Ismaila Sarr in 2022-23 and 2020-21).

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea's Jimmy-Jay Morgan, 20, is being tracked by Swansea, Sheffield United and Preston North End among a host of Championship sides after impressing on loan at Peterborough.

The attacker has spent the season at the League One club, scoring 14 goals in 36 appearances.

He has a year left on his Chelsea deal and a decision on his future is looming in the summer.

Morgan joined Chelsea's academy at the age of eight before moving to Southampton and then returning to Stamford Bridge in 2023.

The Poole-born England youth international has represented his country from Under-16 level through to Under-20.

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder spoke to BBC Radio Sheffield after their 2-1 win over Hull City.

"I'm delighted for the supporters that we got a win because it's an expectant club and crowd and we've not delivered on what we should have done," he said.

"Not winning in six games is not good enough for me or the football club.

"It was a game of basketball, it could have been 4-4 at half time.

"We gave them their goal, they didn't need to work hard for it. Their opportunities, we've given them.

"I felt it was the right time to get Danny on. I challenged the subs before the game to make a difference and change the game because I don't think they have enough this season. Thankfully we did."

Image source, Getty Images

The EFL has announced the fixtures for the 2026-27 season will be published at midday on Thursday, 25 June.

The first-round draws for the Carabao Cup and the Vertu Trophy will be made on the same day.

The new season will kick off on the weekend of August 7-9 with the first round of the Carabao Cup, and the opening fixtures in the Championship, League One and League Two will follow a week later on 14-16 August.

The first round of the Vertu Trophy will be played in the week commencing 21 September.