Chris Wilder is remaining confident that his Sheffield United team will maintain their focus during their match against Bristol City, despite the impending Steel City derby against rivals Wednesday. The Blades have the opportunity to go top of the league with a win, at least until Leeds face West Brom the following day.
Although the upcoming derby has been on many fans’ minds for weeks, United have vowed to concentrate solely on the task at hand this season and have no plans to change that approach in the final 10 games of the campaign. Wilder is facing some challenges with injuries and suspensions, as Vini Souza and Gus Hamer were both forced off in the previous match against Preston North End.
Defender Anel Ahmedhodzic is also toeing the line with disciplinary issues, having picked up his ninth yellow card of the season in their recent game against Queens Park Rangers. Another caution against Bristol City would lead to a two-match ban and rule him out of the derby, but the deadline for suspensions passes after the match tomorrow.
Wilder emphasized that there is no room for complacency within the team, especially with the derby looming. The focus remains solely on the upcoming match against Bristol City, with the weekend fixture taking care of itself.
United have managed to navigate the threat of suspensions so far, with Souza’s timely substitution preventing him from missing the derby due to accumulation of bookings. Ahmedhodzic, however, is walking a fine line after his recent yellow card.
Wilder acknowledged the physicality of their last game and expects a similar challenge against Bristol City. The team will need to maintain their competitive approach to secure a positive result and hopefully avoid further suspensions as the season draws to a close.
With Ahmedhodzic hopefully avoiding any further disciplinary issues, the focus will shift to Hamer as the next player at risk of suspension. He will need to stay disciplined in the final 10 games to avoid missing out on crucial matches in the run-in.
