Just two points separate Daniel Farke’s Whites and Chris Wilder’s Blades at the top of the Championship which is once again led by Leeds after Monday night’s dramatic victory against Sunderland at Elland Road. Wilson Isidor’s first-half strike had the Black Cats heading for a 1-0 victory that would have kept the Blades top and one point above Farke’s Whites. Two Leeds substitutes, though, combined to turn the game on its head in dramatic fashion, two pinpoint crosses from Joe Rothwell setting up a brace of match-winning headers for centre-back Pascal Struijk who bagged his second in the 95th minute.
In a true top-of-the-table six pointer, Sheffield United and Leeds will now lock horns in an 8pm kick-off at Bramall Lane on Monday night where Farke’s Whites could boot five points clear of their Steel City rivals. The Blades, though, would replace Leeds in pole position with a victory due to their current standing which has been achieved amid a chunk of injuries. Leeds also have players out and here we run through the early injury news from both camps.
1. Oliver Arblaster (out)
England youth international midfielder Arblaster is now Sheffield United's only long term first-team absentee, the 21-year-old on the comeback trail from a ruptured ACL suffered in November's Steel City derby victory against Sheffield Wednesday at Bramall Lane. Photo: Mike Egerton
2. Sai Sachdev (out)
Sheffield United's England youth international right-back Sachdev has been out since suffering a serious lower leg injury in an under-21s clash in September 2024. The 19-year-old had surgery and had his Blades contract extended by another year this month. Photo: Alex Livesey
3. Harry Souttar (out)
Australia international centre-back Souttar had been on loan at Sheffield United from Leicester City but the 26-year-old saw his season ended when rupturing an Achilles tendon during Boxing Day's defeat to Burnley. The defender has since returned to the Foxes. Photo: Mike Egerton
4. Max Wober (out)
United's Austrian international defender Wober has had successful surgery on his knee issue and is expected back in around six weeks' time, just after the next international break in March. Photo: Danny Lawson
5. Patrick Bamford (out)
It had been hoped that Whites no 9 Bamford would return to training ahead of Monday night's visit of Sunderland but the striker suffered a setback in his rehab process and is now looking at around another ten days out. Whites boss Daniel Farke now expects the forward to return to training 'more or less' after the Sheffield United clash. Photo: Nick Potts
6. Tom Cannon (expected back)
Young Republic of Ireland international striker Cannon joined the Blades on a permanent deal from Stoke City for £10m in the January transfer window but the 22-year-old missed the weekend's clash at Luton Town due to an ankle injury suffered in the midweek win against Boro. Wilder, though, says Cannon will be back available to face Leeds. "With Tom we just didn't have enough time," said the Blades boss. “If the game was 48 hours later and we were playing Monday or Tuesday then he'd have been fit but we made a decision on that." Photo: Molly Darlington