Wilder Makes “Absolutely Nothing” Remark About Sheffield Wednesday as Kick-off Gets Closer | OneFootball

Sheffield United welcome their fiercest rivals Sheffield Wednesday to Bramall Lane on Sunday afternoon for the final Steel City derby of the 2025/26 Championship season.

The Blades arrive in strong form, having snatched all three points in dramatic fashion away at Portsmouth last weekend thanks to a 90th-minute winner. That victory means United have taken ten points from their last five matches, building momentum at a crucial stage of the campaign with 14 games remaining.

Wednesday, by contrast, are enduring a torrid run. The Owls have lost nine consecutive matches, with their last point coming in a goalless draw at home to Blackburn Rovers on the 29th of December. Even more concerning is their lack of firepower: since a 2-2 Boxing Day draw against Hull City, Wednesday have managed just a single goal.

Chris Wilder’s side will be without Joe Rothwell, who serves the second game of a three-match suspension. Sam McCallum remains sidelined with a long-term ankle injury. However, there is positive news with midfielder Jairo Riedewald back in contention as preparations continue for Sunday’s showdown.

Wednesday’s injury list is considerably longer. Goalkeeper Pierce Charles continues to struggle with a shoulder issue, while defenders Dominic Iorfa, Di’Shon Bernard and Max Lowe are all set to miss out. Nathaniel Chalobah is nursing a hamstring problem, and Sean Fusire remains a doubt, leaving the Owls stretched heading into enemy territory.

On a positive front, Seny Dieng experienced stopper Seny Dieng has been signed on an emergency loan as the Owls battle with yet more injuries between the sticks.

Blades to Continue Domination

The Blades have enjoyed the upper hand in recent meetings. Last season, the S2 outfit secured 1-0 victories home and away, courtesy of goals from Tyrese Campbell and Rhian Brewster. Earlier this term, United travelled across the city to S6 and delivered a commanding 3-0 victory, a scoreline that arguably flattered Wednesday given the balance of play.

Victory on Sunday would see United complete back-to-back Steel City derby doubles, a feat achieved only once before in the club’s history, across the 1933/34 and 1937/38 seasons.

Chris Wilder Explains “Thought Process” As Sheffield United Get Set to Host Sheffield Wednesday

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 23: Thomas Cannon of Sheffield United celebrates scoring his team’s third goal 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)

Despite the gulf in form, Wilder insists his focus remains solely on performance. “That’s got absolutely nothing to do with me at all. That’s not in my thought process at all,” he said in his pre-match press conference when asked about Wednesday’s struggles. “My thought process is winning the next game of football at Championship level, and we know how hard it is.

“We’ll have possibly done as much preparation on this game as we’ve done on any game all season, apart from the play-off final last season. Full focus on us but understanding the threats the opposition might pose.”

Wilder also dismissed suggestions that his side are heavy favourites.

“I don’t get it,” he said. “We had a game here vs Manchester City when I wasn’t here. It took Man City until the 91st minute for them to beat Sheffield United and they were world champions. We put a slide up about Macclesfield vs Crystal Palace, Bodø/Glimt vs Man City, there’s loads of examples recently, let alone over the last 100+ years. The game isn’t decided on teamsheets or form.”

He expanded: “Would I rather be in our changing room than theirs? Yeah of course and I would think they would with the players we’ve got and the form we’ve shown, but the game doesn’t work like that. There’s so many things you can’t control and there’s so many things you can.”

Tyrese Campbell to Haunt the Owls Once More?

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)

One player who could prove decisive is Tyrese Campbell. While his recent performances have been relatively quiet, Wilder confirmed the forward has been working hard behind the scenes.

“We’ve worked hard with Tyrese over the past six to eight weeks, physically and with his game. He’s ready. He’s got a huge part to play in the last third of the season.

“Tyrese at full tilt is an absolute handful for anybody. He’s trained incredibly well and he’s really pushing for a start on Sunday.”

Campbell has already etched his name into derby folklore, registering three goals and one assist in his three previous Steel City appearances. With his pace and directness, and a strong record in this fixture, he could once again find himself on the scoresheet on Sunday.

Form often goes out of the window when it comes to derby day, but momentum, confidence and squad depth all point firmly in United’s direction as the Blades look to put the final nail in Sheffield Wednesday’s coffin.