Sheffield Wednesday face Sheffield United at Hillsborough on Sunday with more than just local pride at stake as they look to haul themselves out of the relegation zone. Although their bitter city rivals have little to play for having now missed out on a play-off spot the Blades will come to S6 focussed on getting a result to secure the steel city bragging rights. United have achieved very little of note for three quarters of a century and often tend to take great pleasure in the failures of their big brother as a result of this and so putting another nail in the Owls championship coffin is a major incentive for their fans at least.
Despite a win for Scunthorpe on Saturday defeat for Watford and a point for Crystal Palace has kept the Owls in touch at the bottom of the table and a win would see them move out of the bottom three.
Wednesday come into the game on the back of two successive 1-0 defeats but could pick the same side that lost at Middlesbrough last weekend. Jermaine Johnson played off front-man Marcus Tudgay at the Riverside but could revert back to the wing if Alan Irvine chooses to move Luke Varney into a strikers role.
Leon Clarke was a very late withdrawal from the side that lost at Middlesbrough but could return to the squad on Sunday. Francis Jeffers could also come into contention for the goal-shy Owls but Tommy Miller, Sean McAllister and Lewis Buxton may all miss out.
Sheffield United are boosted by the news that goalkeeper Steve Simonsen and defender Paul Connolly have both extended their loan spells at the club and are likely to start the game at Hillsborough.
The visitors still have a lengthy injury list however and are expected to be without influential forward Jamie Ward, Welsh international striker Ched Evans and Henri Camara. Ryan France is also set to miss out and has been a major disappointment since joining the club in the summer having had a trial with the Owls.
Former Wednesday striker Richard Cresswell has been on fine form for United since joining them earlier in the season and is likely to partner Darius Henderson in attack.
Wednesday come into the game on a worrying run of just one win in nine games and although five of these games have resulted in draws they have failed to score in almost 200 minutes of football and have not kept a clean sheet in the last five matches. Only three clubs in the Coca-Cola Championship have conceded more goals at home than the Owls this season and only five have scored less on their own turf.
Fortunately for Wednesday, only four teams in the division have lost more away games than the visitors to Hillsborough on Sunday afternoon. The Blades are on a shocking away run which has seen them lose eight and draw three on the road in the league since victory at Plymouth in early December.
In contrast they have been on much better form at home where they have lost just once since early November – unfortunately to Wednesday the Blades handed three points to one of the Owls relegation rivals Scunthorpe three weeks ago.
Besides the obvious importance of picking up three points to aid their survival hopes Wednesday will be keen to erase the memory of the derby defeat at Bramall Lane back in September. The Owls were shocking in the first half of that game coming in 3-0 down after 45 minutes and although they fought back to restore some pride in the second half they could not prevent a 3-2 defeat at the hands of their bitter rivals.
Last seasons encounter at S6 saw the Owls run out 1-0 winners thanks to a first half goal from Steve Watson.