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A late Olivier Ntcham strike for Swansea cost Bristol City all three points on home turf on Saturday, leaving them 14th in the Championship table, six points off the playoff positions.
Inconsistency has plagued the Robins’ season so far, with fantastic wins such as the one against high-flying Blackburn Rovers followed by unacceptable performances at Birmingham City and Reading in some of their most recent away fixtures.
Thanks to some outstanding early-season form, United still occupy a playoff position despite a tricky time since returning from October’s international break, but the gap to Blackburn in the automatic promotion places has widened to four points as the World Cup break approaches.
The Blades have shown their ability to go on lengthy runs without defeat so alarm bells will not be ringing in Yorkshire just yet, but the recent form of leaders Burnley and second-placed Blackburn act as a reminder that they cannot slip up too many more times if they are to achieve a top-two finish this campaign.
What has been a constant though this campaign is the rise of youngster Tommy Conway, who scored his sixth Championship goal of the season against Russell Martin‘s Swans last time out, and only sits one strike behind leading-marksman Nahki Wells in the club’s scoring charts.
It was Bermuda international Wells that provided the assist for Conway on Saturday, showing a partnership Nigel Pearson will hope can blossom considering the amount he has had to chop and change the forward two this season in order to get a tune out of his team.
Neutrals watching on Tuesday should be in for some entertainment, as Bristol City games are the highest scoring in the Championship this season, highlighting the Robins’ attacking ability but also a fragility in defence that needs to be stamped out if Pearson’s men are to achieve anything tangible this season.
Sheffield United will be hoping the 2-0 win against West Brom on Saturday will be the result to kick-start their season again after a run of six without a win before that victory over the despondent Baggies.
First-half strikes from troublesome forward duo Iliman Ndiaye and Oli McBurnie put the Blades in control at the Hawthorns and although Heckingbottom’s side were not as exciting to watch in the second period, three vital points were never in danger for the visitors at the Hawthorns.
Bristol City will remain without influential centre-back Kal Naismith for the visit of Sheffield United, with the Scotsman yet to feature since being forced off with a calf injury during the stalemate with Coventry City at the start of October.
Tomas Kalas is still out with an ongoing knee injury and has not appeared for the Robins since March, adding to the shortage of options at the back for Pearson.
Wes Foderingham should return in goal for the Blades after serving his three-match suspension for a red card against Blackpool following their 3-3 draw.
Anel Ahmedhodzic will miss the trip to Bristol as he picked up his fifth yellow card of the season for bringing down West Brom’s Grady Diangana cynically in the first half on the weekend.
Rhian Brewster suffered a very obvious hamstring tear after coming on as a substitute last time out and could be facing several more months out with injury after a similar problem cost him the second half of last season.
The towering Norwegian Sander Berge remains out with a knee injury, and is accompanied by Rhys Norrington-Davies, Max Lowe and Jayden Bogle in a packed-out medical room.
Bristol City possible starting lineup:
O’Leary; Tanner, Atkinson, Vyner; Sykes, James, Scott, Dasilva, Semenyo; Wells, Conway
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Foderingham; Robinson, Egan, Basham; Baldock, Doyle, Norwood, Fleck, Osborn; Ndiaye, McBurnie
Basham had one such dark moment late on in the recent loss at Coventry when he conceded a costly penalty which was converted his fellow north-easterner Martyn Waghorn in a 1-0 loss on October 19.
The defender had a better time of it in the Midlands at West Brom on Saturday, playing his part in a 2-0 victory for the Blades, their first win in seven matches.
Quick to praise manager Paul Heckingbottom for sticking by him, he said: “I’ve played 350-odd games (for United) and when you make a mistake like that, it’s not nice.
“The wife will tell you I don’t speak to her for a couple of games but there’s always a chance to put things right. The manager kept belief in me, he could have pulled me out but he believes in me and that’s great for me.
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Injuries and illness eventually took a toll on Bristol City at the weekend when Swansea hit back from a goal down to draw 1-1 at Ashton Gate.
Indeed, the Swans were coming on the stronger after Olivier Ntcham’s 76th-minute equaliser, something Sheffield United will be hoping to do as they look to make it back-to-back away wins.
The Blades have had a few wobbles of late but still managed to prove masters of the late comeback to snatch priceless points off Blackpool and Norwich.
And Saturday’s 2-0 win at West Brom certainly stopped the rot and showed there’s not a lot wrong at Bramall Lane.
The Robins have failed to win eight of their last ten and have conceded 17 second-half goals compared to just ten in the first half of games