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Cardiff City interim coach Mark Hudson: “They’re a good team. Under Paul Heckingbottom, they’re full of energy, they’ve got some really good players in that team as well. We know we’ve got to be better than we were on Tuesday night, much better and back to the performance we showed against Sunderland away.
“We want to go into the break with a win. We know we’ve got to be ready for the game. Sheffield United will bring an intensity, a non-stop game that’s going to be high-energy and we’ve got to match and go beyond that. We’re looking forward to it.”
Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom: “They are 18th, seven points off the top six. That’s the league. The positions are irrelevant. They have just had less consistency than the other teams.
“We have been more consistent than them, that’s why they are lower than us. It’s a tough journey, a tough team, we have to respect that, but we have got to go there to try and win the game.”
Who is the referee?
Matthew Donohue is set to take charge Cardiff City’s clash with Sheffield United. Paul Hodskinson and Richard Wild are set to be the assistant referees, while Peter Wright will be the fourth official.
What are the latest betting odds?
Cardiff City win – 11/5
Draw – 23/10
Sheffield United win – 13/10
(Odds courtesy of Sky Bet, correct at time of publishing. Please gamble responsibly.)
Match facts
- Cardiff lost both league meetings with Sheffield United last season. The Bluebirds haven’t lost three in a row against them since December 1984.
- Following a 3-2 win at the Cardiff City Stadium last season, Sheffield United are looking for consecutive away league wins against them for the first time since December 1977.
- Cardiff have lost their last two home league games, conceding more goals in these defeats (5) than they had in their previous eight home league games combined (4).
- No side has won more away games in the Championship this season than Sheffield United (5), with only Preston (18) picking up more points on the road than the Blades (17).
- No player has been involved in more Championship goals this season than Sheffield United’s Iliman Ndiaye (11 – 9 goals, 2 assists)
Cardiff will be looking over their shoulder as we approach the halfway point in the league season, currently in 18th place, just four points clear of 22nd-placed West Bromwich Albion, who have a game in hand.
The main issue for the Bluebirds has been in the attacking area of the pitch, scoring just 17 goals in the league so far, the second-lowest of any side in the division.
This inability to convert chances is even highlighted in the recent wins that Mark Hudson‘s side have picked up, beating Rotherham United and Sunderland 1-0, despite dominating the game against the Millers, having five shots on target compared to the two registered by their opponents.
It was a lack of defensive acumen that cost Hudson’s men in their last match though, falling to a 3-2 home defeat against Hull City, only the second time this season that they have conceded more than two goals in the league.
The Bluebirds were leading until the final 15 minutes, but midfielder Regan Slater bagged two late goals to ensure that Hudson did not take anything from his first match after being offered the manager job until the end of the season.
Cardiff’s Ebou Adams is struggling with a shoulder injury and is not expected to return until later this month, with the likes of Joe Ralls and Andy Rinomhota set to be preferred in the middle of the park.
Callum Robinson has been the creative spark in the attack so far this season, notching three goals and four assists in the Championship, and so he should lead the line once more.
Having replaced him before the hour mark in the defeat against Hull City, Mark Harris may be chosen to start over Romaine Sawyers in an attacking-midfield role.
Sheffield United will be without a host of key players for Saturday’s trip, with Daniel Jebbison and Sander Berge both missing out with ligament injuries.
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They will also be missing defenders Max Lowe and Rhys Norrington-Davies, who are both absent for a little while longer with hamstring issues, a problem that is plaguing the Blades, with striker Rhian Brewster also unavailable with the same problem.
Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Allsop; Romeo, Ng, Nelson, Nkounkou; Ralls, Rinomhota, Harris, Ojo, O’Dowda; Robinson
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Foderingham; Ahmedhodzic, Egan, Robinson; Baldock, Norwood, Osborn, Fleck, Stevens; McBurnie, Ndiaye