Sheffield United v Middlesbrough: promotion chase meets mid-table push | OneFootball

Sheffield United host Middlesbrough in the Championship at Bramall Lane on 9 February 2026, with the visitors chasing automatic promotion and the hosts aiming to build momentum in mid-table.

Middlesbrough edged the reverse fixture 1-0 in August. The visitors arrive high in the table, while Sheffield United sit in the pack below looking to string results together at home.

Form points to an intriguing balance. The Blades have won back-to-back home league games 3-1 against Ipswich and Oxford, either side of a draw at Millwall. Boro have won four league matches on the spin, including 4-0 home victories over Southampton and Preston and away wins at West Brom and Stoke.

Squad availability could shape selection. Sheffield United list injuries for Patrick Bamford plus midfield and defensive options including Jairo Riedewald, Tom Davies, Jamie Shackleton, Sam McCallum and Andre Brooks. Boro report absences for defenders Darragh Lenihan, George Edmundson, Alfie Jones and Alex Bangura, alongside Mamadou Kaly Sene and Leo Castledine, which may test depth at the back.

On the numbers, Boro have scored 47 and conceded 29 with 57% possession and 84.37% passing accuracy, suggesting they could control midfield and territory. The Blades' season stands at 43 for and 43 against with 52% possession. At Bramall Lane they have scored 24 and conceded 15. Morgan Whittaker leads Boro with 11 league goals and five assists, while Callum O'Hare's eight goals and five assists and Gustavo Hamer's seven assists give the Blades a creative route.

Boro could tighten their grip on the automatic promotion places with another result. The Blades, in mid-table, may put further distance between themselves and the relegation fight and keep nudging upward.