Leicester City vs Sheffield United – Preview | OneFootball

After moving out of the relegation zone for the first time this season, Sheffield United head to Leicester City on Saturday afternoon to try and keep their momentum going.

Leicester City were already down 2-0 before they were reduced to ten men on Tuesday night away at Southampton. The Foxes went in 3-0 down at the break and managed to keep the scoreline that way for the rest of the second half.

Since coming out of the latest international break, United have claimed back-to-back 3-0 wins. The Blades thrashed Steel City rivals Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 at Hillsborough before defeating the ten men of Portsmouth at Bramall Lane on Wednesday night.

Team News

Marti Cifuentes will be without Bade Aluko after his sending off in midweek. The Spaniard could bring former Blades left-back Luke Thomas back into the squad after he served a one-match ban. The Foxes could again be without Aaron Ramsey, Caleb Okoli, Jakub Stolarczyk and Victor Kristiansen.

For the Blades, Chris Wilder was able to give Gustavo Hamer a 30-minute substitute appearance in midweek and the midfielder showed his quality by netting a swerving 30-yard strike into the top corner to round off the 3-0 win. The Dutchman could be in line to start at the weekend.

Tahith Chong and Oliver Arblaster remain close to returning, though neither have made the bench despite Wilder feeling positive about the pair.

Leicester City’s Impact Player For This Game

LEICESTER, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 22: Abdul Fatawu of Leicester City pictured during the Sky Bet Championship match between Leicester City and Stoke City at The King Power Stadium on November 22, 2025 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Leicester may be mid-table but their start to the season has been very underwhelming. One player that has produced moments of magic is Abdul Fatawu. The pacey and tricky left-footed right winger has seven goal contributions in 17 league starts, and he leads the Foxes in big chances created with four.

Fatawu excels in almost every dribbling statistic. He ranks in the 99th percentile for take-on attempts and successful take-ons averaging almost eight attempts per 90 and almost 3.5 successful take-ons per 90. He also averages five progressive carries per 90.

Whilst Sam McCallum has been in excellent form for the Blades, he will have his work cut out against Leicester’s standout man. Callum O’Hare and Jairo Riedewald’s defensive work rate could help combat the Ghanaian’s blistering speed and skill.

Sheffield United’s Impact Player For This Game

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 23: Tyrese Campbell of Sheffield United scores his team’s first goal past goalkeeper Ethan Horvath of Sheffield Wednesday during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United at Hillsborough on November 23, 2025 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Due to the dominance on Wednesday night, the Blades were able to fully rest Tyrese Campbell which means he will be fresh for the trip to the King Power Stadium.

Campbell netted his fourth and fifth goals of the season against Sheffield Wednesday last Sunday so he’ll be full of confidence. And he’ll get even more confidence knowing this matchup against Leicester’s central defenders is very favourable for him. Jannik Vestergaard and Wout Faes are both slow in terms of straight line speed as well as agility. If Campbell can isolate one of them when peeling down the sides to chase a long ball down the channel, he will fancy his chances at using his burst of pace to get past them.

The striker has had his fair share of criticism this season from the fan base, but part of this was more due to frustration with the entire team. For the majority of the campaign, Campbell was alone at the top of the pitch with a huge gap between him and the midfield, thus leading to him being dispossessed easily or being marked completely out of the game. However, this has changed over the last month.

It’s not as if Campbell had suddenly forgotten how to score earlier in the season, his productivity was low because United weren’t creating chances for him or giving him the opportunity to create something for himself. When Campbell does hit the target he does often find the back of the net, averaging 0.63 goals per shot on target per game (ranking in the 83rd percentile versus other Championship forwards).

The move to a more 4-4-2 style of shape has helped Campbell because he isn’t having to do everything himself up front. Plus, the re-introduction of Andre Brooks to the team does help the attack overall because of both of their athletic ability to stretch a defence on quick attacks. Add in Callum O’Hare’s tireless work rate and Jairo Riedewald’s abilities to recover the ball and win seconds and thirds, it’s easy to understand why Sheffield United are one of the Championship’s best teams in terms of defending from the front and punishing high turnovers.

Again, this all fits into the favourable matchup for Campbell, and United will be fully aware that Leicester have already conceded five goals on fast breaks this term.

My Prediction

Sheffield United have a fantastic opportunity to claim three consecutive victories and put a bit of a run together as we head into December. The Blades are now seventh in Opta’s expected league table, which points to their improvements in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, Leicester are 17th in those standings, highlighting their struggles. There will be further added pressure on Leicester with recent reports emerging regarding a possible nine-point deduction, and Cifuentes being on the hot seat.

Sheffield United can secure another win here, though I do not expect another 3-0 win. 1-0 or 2-1 seems the more likely outcome.

Stats taken from FBref and Opta.