Preview: Sheffield United vs. Watford - prediction, team news, lineups

The Blades' lead over third-placed Middlesbrough has been reduced to four points recently, while their visitors sit just outside the playoff places, only trailing fifth-placed Millwall and sixth-placed Luton Town on goal difference.

Match preview

After a strong first half to the campaign, Sheffield United continued to strengthen their position in the fight for automatic promotion to the Premier League after the World Cup break late last year, taking an unbeaten run to 10 league matches, including eight victories, to stretch their lead over the chasing pack to 10 points with a game in hand on third-placed Middlesbrough.

Aiming to further strengthen their chances of climbing to the top flight with a 19th league win of the campaign, the Blades then hosted an in-form Boro side at Bramall Lane and enjoyed a perfect start as Oli McBurnie quickly opened the scoring, only for Chuba Akpom to draw their visitors level before Cameron Archer sealed all three points for the chasing team with a second-half brace, reducing the gap to seven points.

Left disappointed with just their sixth defeat of the Championship season, Paul Heckingbottom's men then faced the tough test of a trip to playoff-chasing Millwall as they looked to bounce back to winning ways, but in an eventful contest, they eventually left London empty-handed.

Tom Bradshaw put their hosts ahead on three separate occasions at The Den, and after Tommy Doyle and James McAtee drew the Blades back level after the first and second goals respectively, Bradshaw's third in the dying embers was enough to snatch all three points for Gary Rowett's men.

With Middlesbrough's relentless form not seeming to falter, Heckingbottom's men saw their lead over third place cut from 10 points to just four last week, albeit while still having a game in hand, and they will know that they quickly need to return to the form they have displayed throughout the majority of the season to maintain their spot in the top two, starting with a home victory at the weekend.

They meet a Watford side who will look to strengthen their own promotion bid this term, albeit through the playoffs in the Hornets' case, as they sit just outside of the top six.

After strengthening their playoff bid with back-to-back three-point hauls against Norwich City and Blackpool in January, Slaven Bilic's men would have to endure a five-game winless run in England's second tier, firstly only managing to draw 1-1 at home to strugglers Rotherham United before being beaten 2-0 away at Middlesbrough.

The Hornets would then be held to draws by Reading and Blackburn Rovers, before travelling to runaway leaders Burnley and taking a more commendable point from a 1-1 draw, albeit in disappointing fashion as Michael Obafemi drew the Clarets level deep into injury time after Joao Pedro's first-half opener looked to have won the game.

Aiming to bounce back from that tough spell and avoid falling behind in the top-six fight, Bilic's side most recently hosted fellow playoff chasers West Bromwich Albion at Vicarage Road on Tuesday, and they were twice pegged back after going ahead through Ken Sema and Ismaila Sarr, only for the latter to get on the scoresheet a second time, with his effort deflecting into the Baggies net in the final 15 minutes to seal all three points for the hosts.

Now with a degree of renewed confidence and the slimmest of gaps to fifth-placed Millwall and sixth-placed Luton Town, Watford will look to make it back-to-back three-point hauls to stand a chance of moving ahead of their rivals at the weekend.

Sheffield United Championship form:

W

W

D

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L

L

Sheffield United form (all competitions):

D

D

W

W

L

L

Watford Championship form:

D

L

D

D

D

W

Team News

Sheffield United continue to deal with several injury issues in defence and attack, and in the absence of Rhian Brewster and Billy Sharp, key men Oli McBurnie and Iliman Ndiaye will continue to lead the line, having netted a combined tally of 21 goals in the Championship so far this term, while Max Lowe and Jayden Bogle will again operate as full-backs with Enda Stevens, Rhys Norrington-Davies and George Baldock all sidelined.

Chris Basham was picked over Anel Ahmedhodzic on the right-hand side of the back three for the trip to Millwall, and they will be fighting to feature from the outset alongside John Egan and Jack Robinson in defence.

Tommy Doyle also returned to action from the start at The Den, getting on the scoresheet from a free kick, while fellow midfielder and Manchester City loanee James McAtee found the net from the bench, and both will be vying for places in the engine room, with Oliver Norwood and Sander Berge bound to start again.

Slaven Bilic should again line his Watford side up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, given their attacking quality, with Keinan Davis again set to lead the line with support in the centre from Joao Pedro.

Winger Ismaila Sarr took his tally to nine league goals for the season with their second in the West Brom win, while Ken Sema is also bound to keep his place on the opposite flank after hitting a brace in that triumph.

Elsewhere, with the likes of Dan Gosling, Edo Kayembe, Tom Cleverley, Francisco Sierralta, Hassane Kamara and Craig Cathcart remaining sidelined by injuries, Ismael Kone and Hamza Choudhury should again operate in the engine room, with Wesley Hoedt and Ryan Porteous set to continue their centre-back pairing, flanked by Mario Gaspar and James Morris on the right and left-hand sides respectively.

Sheffield United possible starting lineup:

Foderingham; Basham, Egan, Robinson; Bogle, Berge, Norwood, Doyle, Lowe; McBurnie, Ndiaye

Watford possible starting lineup:

Bachmann; Gaspar, Porteous, Hoedt, Morris; Kone, Choudhury; Sarr, Pedro, Sema; Davis

We say: Sheffield United 1-1 Watford

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