How to watch Sheffield United v Middlesbrough, team news, predicted line-ups and more | OneFootball

Middlesbrough could go top of the Championship when they visit Bramall Lane this evening, after current leaders Coventry dropped points in a goalless draw against 10-man Oxford earlier this weekend.

Sheffield United are currently 16th but are unbeaten in their last three matches. The hosts have won seven of their last nine home league games against Middlesbrough.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the game…

Kick-off time

8:01pm UK time

How to watch

Live on Sky Sports Main Event

Injuries and suspensions

Sheffield United: Bamford (out), Riedewald (out), McCallum (out), Davies (out), Brooks (doubt), Shackleton (out)

Middlesbrough: Lenihan (out), Bangura (out), Sene (doubt), George Edmundson (doubt), Alfie Jones (doubt), Dieng (out)

Predicted line-ups

Sheffield United (4-2-3-1): Cooper; Seriki, Tanganga, Bindon, Burrows; Arblaster, Peck; Ogbene, O’Hare, Hamer; Cannon

Middlesbrough (4-3-3): Brynn; Brittain, Ayling, Malanda, Targett; Browne, Morris, Hackney; Whittaker, Conway, McGree

Recent form

Despite their poor league position, Sheffield United have won five games in a row at home, scoring 15 goals in those matches. Last time out, they beat Oxford 3-1 at Bramall Lane.

Middlesbrough are also in fine form, having won their last five matches on the bounce. In their last match, they edged Norwich in a 1-0 win to keep the pressure on current leaders Coventry.

A win for Boro tonight would see them reach their best run of form since Michael Carrick’s tenure and go two points clear at the top of the Championship. Sheffield United haven’t kept a clean sheet in nine matches and Middlesbrough are hugely overperforming their xG this season, so you can expect goals from the visitors.

What’s been said?

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder: “Look at their league form, position and players they’ve got. I know a bit about the club and they’ve been pushing for quite a while and they are pushing again. Coventry, Ipswich and Middlesbrough are the three outstanding teams in the division, and I believe it is two from three.

“We’ve been competitive right the way through, I’ve been critical previously about maybe turning some losses into draws and draws into wins, we’ve dropped some vital points, but we’ve shown some consistency and our home form has been good.

“We are focused on the next challenge, the next game, it will be a vociferous away support, but we will have an ultra-positive home support that will make it a difficult place to come and play football, but credit Boro for their season so far.”

Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg: “It’s 16 games left and we know that. It’s just trying to take it day by day, keep improving as a team and as individual players. That’s the key thing.

“It’s a tough game, as every game is. They’ve been very strong at home… they started with six losses in a row and that gets you to a very bad start, but since then they’ve been quite good, especially in the latest stage of the season. It’s a very good team. If we started the season today, I think they would be competing for the top six.

“We haven’t focused on Sheffield United more than going through them with analytics at the beginning of the week. The focus has been on us, the way we want to play.

“We win, we lose, it should not affect the environment. We keep working and keep trying to improve.”