Sports Mole previews Tuesday’s Championship clash between Sheffield United and Southampton, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Two unexpected strugglers are set to face off in the Championship on Tuesday when Sheffield United welcome Southampton to Bramall Lane.
The Blades will be hoping to build on their win last time out, while the Saints are eyeing a move towards the top half this weekend.
Match preview
Sheffield United missed out on promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs in 2024-25, and while they would have been expecting to mount another push for the top six this season, they lost all six games under Ruben Selles during the campaign’s opening weeks.
However, the Blades sacked Selles after being thrashed 5-0 by Ipswich Town on September 12, and remarkably replaced him with Chris Wilder, who was sacked from the role himself just three months prior.
The ‘new’ manager began his third spell in the Bramall Lane dugout with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Charlton Athletic, but the club earned their first points of the season on Saturday when Callum O’Hare’s second-half strike was enough to secure a 1-0 victory on the road to Oxford United.
Shockingly – aside from that triumph being United’s first win across all competitions – the winner at the weekend was their first goal in six matches across all competitions, a span of almost six weeks without finding the back of the net.
Wilder closed out last season with three wins, two draws and one loss from his final six home games, and fans will be desperate for the team to recover some semblance of that resilience on Tuesday after seeing the Blades lose all three of their matches on their own turf this term.
Another three points would be enough for the Blades to climb off of the foot of the table, but they are unlikely to escape the bottom three this week due to their nine-inferior goal-difference compared to 21st-placed Derby County.
Meanwhile, Will Still‘s Southampton have only lost twice in the Championship in 2025-26, but they also sit just two points above the relegation zone after seven second-tier games.
On Saturday, the Saints followed up their 2-1 elimination from the EFL Cup by top-flight champions Liverpool with a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough, and while sharing the honours with the club that are currently at the top of the table is commendable, the manager will be disappointed considering that Adam Armstrong gave Southampton the lead.
That stalemate brought Still’s side up to 19th, where their tally of seven points has them two behind 12th-placed Ipswich and three behind 11th-placed Birmingham City.
The result also extended the Saints’ winless run to five games across all competitions, and they are still without a Championship victory since the division’s opening matchweek when they beat Wrexham 2-1 at St Mary’s.
The visitors will see Tuesday’s clash as a golden opportunity to get back to winning ways, and while they will be wary of Wilder’s return, supporters may take heart from the fact that Southampton have won twice on the road in the league cup, while they have lost just once on their travels in the Championship this season.
Sheffield United Championship form:
Southampton Championship form:
Southampton form (all competitions):
Team News
Sheffield United are once again without midfielder Oliver Arblaster due to a knee injury that has kept him sidelined throughout 2025, while right-back Sai Sachdev is out with a broken leg, and the versatile Jamie Shackleton, who has not played this season, is out with a foot injury.
Elsewhere, midfielder Tom Davies and striker Danny Ings could be in the squad but are unlikely to start as Wilder looks to build their fitness.
In their absence, Japhet Tanganga and Harrison Burrows should start at full-back, while Gustavo Hamer and Sydie Peck operate in a double pivot in the centre of the park, and Tyrese Campbell continues up top, supported by attacking midfielder Callum O’Hare.
As for Southampton, they will be missing left-back Welington this week due to an ankle injury, though Ryan Manning should be on hand to line up in his place.
Saints also have doubts about the readiness of left-winger Samuel Edozie, who has yet to feature in 2025-26, so expect to see Adam Armstrong, Tom Fellows and Finn Azaz backing up striker Ross Stewart on Tuesday.
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Cooper; Tanganga, McGuiness, Mee, Burrows; Hamer, Peck; Ogbene, O’Hare, Soumare; Campbell
Southampton possible starting lineup:
McCarthy; Edwards, Wood, Quarshie, Manning; Jander, Charles; Fellows, Azaz, Armstrong; Stewart
We say: Sheffield United 1-1 Southampton
Sheffield United have been in shockingly poor form in 2025-26 so far, but with Wilder at the helm, they could follow up their first win with another point this week.
Southampton have avoided defeat more often than not this term, but their inability to get wins over the line could cost them two points on Tuesday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
ID:582505:1false2false3false: from db desktop :LenBod:collect12821:No Data Analysis infoPreviews by emailClick here to get Sports Mole‘s daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!