TEAM NEWS
Sheffield United goalkeeper Wes Foderingham will replace Ivo Grbic, who was concussed during Tuesday’s defeat at Crystal Palace.
Ben Brereton Diaz should recover in time from a tight hamstring and deadline day signing Mason Holgate is available but Rhian Brewster serves the final game of a three-match suspension.
Aston Villa could give a debut to new recruit Morgan Rogers.
Pau Torres, Lucas Digne, Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia and Jhon Duran remain out.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Both of Sheffield United’s Premier League victories in 11 attempts against Aston Villa came under Chris Wilder in the two most recent meetings at Bramall Lane: 2-0 in December 2019 and 1-0 in March 2021.
- Villa’s last top-flight away victory in this fixture came in April 1994.
Sheffield United
- Sheffield United have 10 points – no team with fewer than 13 after 22 Premier League matches of a season has gone on to avoid relegation.
- The Blades have lost 30 of their 39 most recent Premier League fixtures under Chris Wilder (W5, D4).
- They have kept just one top-flight clean sheet this season and conceded 54 goals, the second highest tally ever at this stage of a Premier League season. Barnsley had let in 57 goals after 22 games in 1997-98.
- Oli McBurnie has scored in each of his last four home league outings, though the Blades haven’t won any of them.
- Ben Brereton can emulate Brian Deane by scoring in each of his first three Premier League appearances for Sheffield United. The first league goal of Brereton’s career was a 93rd-minute winner in Nottingham Forest’s 2-1 home victory against Aston Villa in the Championship on 4 February 2017.
Aston Villa
- Villa are in danger of losing consecutive Premier League matches for the first time this season. They won their next top-flight fixture after each of their previous four defeats in 2023-24.
- Their only league victory in the past five attempts came against Burnley on 30 December courtesy of an 89th-minute penalty scored by Douglas Luiz.
- Aston Villa can keep four successive away clean sheets in all competitions for the first time since September to November 2020 under Dean Smith.
- Ollie Watkins has now scored at least 10 goals in each of his first four seasons in the top flight. The last English players to achieve that feat were Robbie Fowler (1993-94 to 1996-97) and Alan Shearer (first five from 1992-93 to 1996-97).
