With Burnley facing Sunderland on Friday and leaders Leeds United tackling a tricky fixture against Sheffield Wednesday, third place Sheffield United have a golden opportunity to top the Championship table with a victory over Norwich City this weekend.

The Blades are navigating a challenging spell, having won just one of their last five matches. Chris Wilder’s side suffered a 1-0 FA Cup defeat to Cardiff City at Bramall Lane. However, their league form at home has been solid, losing just one of their 12 matches (W9, D2).

Norwich also come into this game on the back of FA Cup disappointment after being humbled 4-0 by Brighton.

The Canaries claimed a 1-0 win at Luton in their last league outing, ending an eight-game winless streak on the road. Chris Wilder’s men will look to capitalize on their strong home record and Norwich’s inconsistency to secure another Bramall Lane triumph.

Sheffield United heavily rotated their squad during the FA Cup loss to Cardiff, but key players such as Anel Ahmedhodzic, Callum O’Hare, and Gustavo Hamer are expected to return to the starting XI.

For Norwich, Borja Sainz, the Championship’s leading scorer with 15 goals, remains sidelined as he serves the second of a six-match suspension.

His absence is compounded by transfer speculation linking him with Girona. Additionally, the Canaries are without Anis Ben Slimane (leg), Liam Gibbs (hamstring), and Gabe Forsyth (knee).

Sheffield United are unbeaten in their last eight league encounters with Norwich, highlighting their dominance in this fixture.

Despite their struggles, Norwich have only lost two of their last 10 matches against Yorkshire sides, although one of those was a 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in November.

The Blades started the season with nine wins in their first 10 home league games but have recently slipped up, losing 2-0 to Burnley and drawing 1-1 with West Brom.

For the hosts, Gustavo Hamer and Tyrese Campbell lead the scoring charts with six goals each, while Hamer and O’Hare have both contributed five assists.

In Sainz’s absence, Ante Crnac, Josh Sargent, and Marcelino Nunez are Norwich’s top scorers, with four goals apiece. Sargent, Jack Stacey, and Callum Doyle have all registered five assists.