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Sheffield United and Derby County go toe to toe at Bramall Lane on Friday in round nine of the EFL Championship.
The Rams, whose 12 points were deducted after recently entering administration, will be looking to grab a statement win and begin their rise from the relegation places.
Sheffield United suffered a third-round exit from the EFL Cup as they lost to Southampton on home turf last Tuesday.
Following a 2-2 draw at the end of 90 minutes, the game progressed to penalties where the Saints claimed a 4-2 victory.
Prior to that, Slaviša Jokanović’s men were on a five-game unbeaten run, picking up two draws and three wins, including a 2-1 win over Saturday’s visitors in round two of the EFL Cup.
With nine points from eight games, the Blades are currently 14th in the Championship table, level on points with Middlesbrough and Preston North End.
Meanwhile, Derby County returned to winning ways last time out when they edged out Stoke City 2-1 in their last league outing.
The Rams raced to a two-goal lead through strikes from Max Bird and Curtis Davis before Thomas Ince pulled one back in the 58th minute.
The result was enough to end Derby County’s run of five games without a win across all competitions.
However, due to entering administration due to their recent financial woes, Wayne Rooney’s side have been penalized 12 points in the league and are now rooted to the bottom of the table.
Sheffield United vs Derby County Head-To-Head
The results have been split right down the middle between the two sides. They have both picked up 48 wins, while 18 games have ended in draws.
Sheffield United Form Guide (all competitions): L-W-D-W-D
Derby County Form Guide (all competitions): W-D-L-D-L
Sheffield vs Derby County Team News
Sheffield United
The Blades will be without the services of David McGoldrick, Jack O'Connell, Lys Mousset and Sander Berge, who have been ruled out through injuries.
Injured: David McGoldrick, Lys Mousset, Sander Berge, Jack O'Connell
Suspended: None
Derby County
Colin Kazim-Richards and Krystian Bielik will play no part in the game as they are currently ruled out through injuries.
Injured: Colin Kazim-Richards, Krystian Bielik
Suspended: None
Sheffield United vs Derby County Predicted XI
Sheffield United Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Robin Olsen; George Baldock, Jack Robinson, John Egan, Rhys Norrington-Davies; Conor Hourihane; John Fleck; Ben Osborn, Rhian Brewster, Morgan Gibbs-White; Billy Sharp
Derby County Predicted XI (3-4-3): Kelle Roos; Lee Buchanan, Phil Jagielka, Curtis Davies; Dylan Williams, Jason Knight, Graeme Shinnie, Nathan Bryne; Louie Sibley, Sam Baldock, Kamil Jozwiak
Sheffield United vs Derby County Prediction
Despite their recent financial woes, Derby County head into the weekend fresh off a morale-boosting win over Stoke City last time out. However, Sheffield United have found their feet in recent outings and we predict they will maintain their solid form by claiming all three points.
Prediction: Sheffield United 2-1 Derby County
