MY ACCOUNT
– Sheffield United have won six of their last seven home games
– Middlesbrough’s only defeats in ten both came in away trips to teams in the top seven
– Recommended bet: Sheffield United to win
Middlesbrough have probably left their Championship push too late to gatecrash the automatic promotion places and manager Michael Carrick will know that victory on Wednesday night is essential if his team is to have any realistic chance of doing so.
It is a huge ask, however.
Hosts Sheffield United currently occupy the second-place position that Boro crave and Paul Heckingbottom’s Blades have not been a team to offer opponents a helping hand this term.
United come into the match unbeaten in 10 as they look to maintain their 10-point lead over third-placed Middlesbrough and another resilient display from the Blades on Wednesday night would move them a huge step closer to promotion.
Team news
Sheffield United striker Billy Sharp had to come off after 20 minutes against Swansea at the weekend so is a major doubt, but Oli McBurnie replaced him at the weekend after shaking off a calf injury and should be fit to start.
Fellow striker Rhian Brewster remains out with injury as do fellow long-term absentees, defenders Rhys Norrington-Davies and Jack O’Connell.
Left-back Enda Stevens remains a short way off returning, as does forward Will Osula, who is recovering from a broken jaw.
Blades midfielder Tommy Doyle and right-back George Baldock both remain doubts but midfielder John Fleck returned for the final minutes against Swansea and will likely again start on the bench while Daniel Jebbison returns from suspension.
Middlesbrough will be without long-term injury victim Darnell Fisher, while centre-back Matt Clarke, who has been out since October with a back problem, also remains a way off returning.
January loan signing Aaron Ramsey could be a week away from making his Boro debut following knee surgery but there is an outside chance that forward Rodrigo Muniz returns from his own knee injury.
The stats
Middlesbrough’s improvement under Michael Carrick has been hugely impressive, with Boro rising from 21st to third in the Championship since he entered the dugout in October.
However, while Boro have claimed an excellent 34 points from a possible 45 under Carrick, the only other Championship clubs to have taken more in that time are the two teams still above them in the league — leaders Burnley, who have taken 36, and Wednesday’s hosts Sheffield United, with 35.
The Blades’ consistency since mid-autumn looks set to secure them promotion to the Premier League, with Heckingbottom’s men winning 11 and losing just one of their last 14 league matches.
The sole defeat in that run was freakishly unlucky, too, with United having almost double the possession of Rotherham, more than three times as many shots and a higher expected goals rating, but failing to get the rub of the green to lose 1-0.
Boro are in excellent form themselves, winning eight of their last ten league games.
However, the two losses in that sequence were the two toughest away games, with Boro losing 3-1 at leaders Burnley and 2-0 at seventh-placed Sunderland.
Prediction
Carrick deserves all the plaudits he has been receiving for the excellent job he is doing at Middlesbrough but this match could prove a bridge too far for Boro.
While there are still 15 games to go in the Championship this feels like a must-win game for Carrick’s side.
Victory would draw them to within seven points of Sheffield United — albeit having played a game more — and give Boro belief that they could overhaul the gap to second place.
Defeat, however, would leave them 13 points to bridge, which seems too much given Sheffield United’s impressive consistency.
And that suggests that the visitors could well get on the scoresheet as they cannot afford to accept a narrow defeat — or even a draw — making both teams to score a decent addition to Bet Builder selections.
However, it is unlikely to be enough against an impressive United side who have won six of their last seven games — a run that takes in a 5-2 victory over leaders Burnley.
Back Sheffield United to win, available at 1/1 with LiveScore Bet.
