Sheffield United vs Leeds United. Sky Bet Championship.
Bramall LaneAttendance27,553.
Saturday 10 February 2018 14:19, UK
Sheffield United will be without suspended goalkeeper Simon Moore for their home game against Yorkshire rivals Leeds on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Football from 12pm.
Moore was shown a straight red card in last week's defeat at Wolves so Jamal Blackman, on loan from Chelsea, could return to action. Blackman faces a fitness test after being sidelined since early January due to a groin injury and if he misses out again Jake Eastwood will make his full league debut.
Manager Chris Wilder has no new injury problems, but midfielder David Brooks is still working his way back from glandular fever and defender Kieron Freeman (knee) is still out.
Leeds defender Pontus Jansson is expected to be fit for new head coach Paul Heckingbottom's first game in charge. Jansson was carried off on a stretcher during last week's home defeat to Cardiff, but returned to full training this week and is expected to feature.
Midfield pair Eunan O'Kane and Kalvin Phillips are back in contention after respective bans, although skipper Liam Cooper and fellow defender Gaetano Berardi are still suspended. Recent signing Tyler Roberts is struggling to shake off a knock and may have to wait for his debut and defender Conor Shaughnessy (ankle) is still out.
Sheffield United haven't lost at home to Leeds since April 1992, winning five and drawing two in all competitions since then.
Leeds haven't beaten Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in a second tier fixture since September 1949 with Len Browning scoring the winner in a 1-0 win.
The Blades are unbeaten in their last 17 Yorkshire derbies (W11 D6) since losing 1-0 to Barnsley in November 2014.
Leeds have failed to win any of their opening six matches in all competitions in 2018 (D2 L4), their longest winless run at the start of a calendar year since 2004 (also six without a win).
Billy Sharp has scored five goals in his last five league starts against Leeds, including scoring in the reverse fixture this season.
This will be Paul Heckingbottom's first league match in charge of Leeds - he has faced Sheffield United twice previously, both times at Bramall Lane as Barnsley boss, and is yet to win (D1 L1).
This is a massive test for Paul Heckingbottom! It's quite the move he's made from Barnsley to Leeds for more than one reason and he'll be under the microscope right away at Bramall Lane.
When these two sides met in October they were both right in the mix for automatic promotion, and Sheffield United even went top after they won at Elland Road! But both have drifted away from the play-offs now and will be desperate for a win. It will be a good, open game, and I think it will be a draw.
David Prutton predicts: 2-2 with Leon Clarke to score first (60/1 with Sky Bet)
