Apart from poor Paddy Kisnorbo, Leeds United will have a full strength squad to choose from for the trip to Sheffield United. Paul Connolly has been passed fit to return after a month on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, but he now has competition for the right-back position now that Eric Lichaj has had his loan period extended.
Simon Grayson told the official site "At the start of the season we had a lot of injuries, but we never made anything of it. Now, we have a fit, strong squad and they are all pushing hard. Sanchez, Lloyd, and Ross all did well in the reserves in midweek and they are pushing. There's nine games to go and we're going into them with a fully fit squad which is pleasing." Even Richard Naylor is available, after missing the reserve game due to a slight knock.
It’s certainly been a disappointing season for Sheffield United to say the least! Our former hero Gary Speed didn’t seem to be doing a great job as manager at the Lane, so the club didn’t put up any resistance when Wales came along and offered to take him off their hands. But under another former Leeds player in Micky Adams, things have gone from bad to worse. Their surprise win over Forest last week was their only win in the last 16, and they returned to form in midweek by going down to a 3-0 defeat at Watford.
You might think that it’s all part of a cunning plan from Leeds to get our local rivals relegated, but Grayson spoke highly of Adams on the official site. "He's a Sheffield United fan, a Sheffield lad and he's an infectious character with plenty to say.” Grayson knows Adams, who was at Leeds when he was starting out as a player, but said "I wish him the very best of luck, but only after Saturday. Come Saturday I won't have any sympathy for where Sheffield United are. It'll be a tough game, but we'll focus on ourselves and what we're trying to do."
And there are plenty of other connections between the clubs. Like his manager, Leigh Bromby is determined to show the Blades no mercy. ”It'll be nice to go back and nice to get three points. I'm still in contact with a few of the players and the staff and it'll be nice to see a few familiar faces, but we're going there for the points. You want to go back and put in a performance and show people you are still a good player”.
But on the other hand Brian Deane has the luxury of showing some sympathy for the Blades, now that he’s no longer playing. "It's a difficult game for me because its two clubs I love. I'm a supporter of both clubs and it's hard. It would be a bonus for me if Leeds went up and Sheffield United stayed up. I couldn't ask for anything more than that." He’s obviously forgotten the ninety minutes of abuse he got from the Blades fans the first time he went back to Bramall Lane after signing for us in the summer of 1993.
Sheffield United haven’t had the same luck as we have with injuries, and they will be without defender Johnny Ertl due to a knee injury, as well as suspended striker Darius Henderson and midfield player Lee Williamson. Both these two were sent off in the defeat at Watford. Defender Matt Lowton has not trained this week and is doubtful after picking up a knock, but midfielder Bjorn Helge Riise is back in the squad following a hamstring strain.
The Blades haven’t got the best of squads, and as they will be stretched even further by the absence of these players, I can’t see this ending up as anything other than a Leeds win.