Struggling Sheffield United host Newcastle United at Bramall Lane in a Premier League encounter.
Victory would lift Sheffield Utd out of the relegation zone, whilst Newcastle could go as high as seventh with a win.
Team News
Oli McBurnie is suspended for Sheffield Utd after he picked up a red card in the Blades’ 2-1 loss at Tottenham.
John Egan (knee), George Baldock (calf), William Osula (muscle), Rhys Norrington-Davies, Rhian Brewstr (both hamstring), Max Lowe (ankle), John Fleck (leg), Ben Osborn (groin) and Daniel Jebbison (illness) are sidelined.
Newcastle could be without second-choice goalkeeper, Martin Dubravka due to illness.
Emil Krafth, Joelinton (both knee) and Joe Willock (hamstring/Achilles) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Sheffield Utd host Newcastle in a 4:30pm BST kick-off at Bramall Lane on Sunday 23 September, live on Sky Sports in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Sheffield Utd have won just one of their last seven meetings against Newcastle (W1, L6).
- Newcastle have won three of their last five trips to Sheffield Utd (W3, L2).
- Each of their last two meetings have been settled by 1-0 result in favour of the team at home.
- Coming into this matchweek, no player has created more blocks than Sheffield Utd’s Anel Ahmedhodzic (9).
- Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon has been involved in more goals than any other Newcastle player this season, with a goal and assist apiece.
Prediction
After being cruelly denied a late shock win at Tottenham last weekend, Sheffield Utd must take the positives from how well they played defensively with a clinical end product until their injury-time collapse and use those lessons to motivate them here.
Newcastle meanwhile were outplayed at AC Milan in their Champions League trip in midweek but you can’t fault how solid they were defensively to hold Milan to a goalless draw, yet they struggled creatively aside from passing the ball around so more sharp energy is required here.
Eddie Howe’s Magpies though do have a difficult Carabao Cup tie to come in midweek but this season, the league surely has to be the bigger priority, so I do expect Newcastle to turn up and play more attacking football which might just be the difference.
Prediction: Sheffield United 0-1 Newcastle United
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