Aiming to avoid unthinkable back-to-back relegations from the glamour of the Premier League to the depths of League One, Luton Town will welcome promotion-chasing Sheffield United to Kenilworth Road on Saturday afternoon in the Championship.
The Hatters are yet to experience a new manager bounce following the departure of Rob Edwards earlier in the campaign as they stare third-tier football in the face, whilst the Blades are on course for an immediate return to the promised land.
Match preview
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Since a 2-1 home victory over fellow strugglers Derby County on December 20, Luton Town have endured a 10-game winless run across all competitions, with the beginning of that wretched streak bringing an end to Edwards's time at the club, allowing Matt Bloomfield to take the reins in the middle of January.
The former Wycombe Wanderers boss swapped a League One title charge with the Chairboys for the stress of a Championship relegation battle at the helm of the Hatters, with the 41-year-old failing to win any of his first five matches, collecting just two points in the painful process.
Luton's winless spell reached the double-digit mark on Wednesday night, when goals either side of the half-time whistle from Roma loanee Enzo Le Fee and Wilson Isidor secured a comfortable success for top-two hopefuls Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, with the Hatters earning maximum points from only one of their 16 away outings to date.
Having lost just five of 15 second-tier clashes at Kenilworth Road this term, it is fair to assume that Bloomfield's side will be highly reliant on good form in front of their own supporters in order to avoid the drop, with each of Luton's last six victories arriving at their Bedfordshire base.
Heading towards two months without a win from a second-tier fixture, the Hatters have slumped to the very bottom of the Championship standings ahead of this weekend's hosting of Sheffield United, two points behind 21st-placed Derby County, who will be confident of an upturn in form under the stewardship of newly-appointed John Eustace.
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After a rare Bramall Lane blip on January 24 - losing 3-0 to relegation-threatened Hull City - Sheffield United have resumed their ascent towards the Premier League at the first time of asking, recording three straight victories to kickstart February in fabulous fashion.
Since exiting the FA Cup during the third-round stage at the hands of Cardiff City, the Blades have won five of their last six Championship contests to keep pace with league leaders Leeds United, battling against the hindrance of a two-point deduction at the beginning of the season.
Hurtling towards the final 14 matches of the second-tier calendar, Chris Wilder's men are currently occupying second spot in the Championship rankings, two points back from Daniel Farke's Yorkshire Whites and three points ahead of third-placed Burnley.
The Blades have proven to be a formidable force on the road during the 2024-25 campaign, winning each of their last three Championship outings and collecting 31 points from 16 away matches to date, with only Scott Parker's Clarets (32) enjoying a better record on their respective travels.
Despite plying his trade in the midfield on the majority of occasions this term, Gustavo Hamer leads Sheffield United's goalscoring charts, although it could be all change in that department over the coming weeks following the arrivals of strikers Ben Brereton Diaz and Tom Cannon during the January transfer window.
Team News
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Luton are struggling to stay afloat in the Championship as they battle without key centre-back Teden Mengi, who has not featured since the end of November.
Club captain Tom Lockyer is currently on the sidelines because of an ankle injury, whilst fellow defender Reece Burke nurses a hip problem.
There are also issues for boss Bloomfield to contend with further up the pitch, with Tahith Chong (hamstring) and Shandon Baptiste (calf) unavailable.
Looking to establish himself as part of the first-team furniture at Sheffield United this term, Tom Davies has been limited to just 11 Championship appearances by a leg injury.
Cannon and Brereton Diaz will have a couple of weeks to stake their claims for a starting spot, with Wales international Kieffer Moore sidelined until March because of a hernia.
Luton Town possible starting lineup:
Kaminski; Walters, McGuinness, Naismith, Johnson; Fanne, Nelson, Aasgaard, Clark, Bowler; Adebayo
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Cooper; Clarke, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Burrows; Peck, De Souza Costa, Rak-Sakyi, O'Hare, Hamer; Brereton Diaz
We say: Luton Town 0-1 Sheffield United
Following an unsuccessful jaunt up to Sunderland on Wednesday night, Luton face another daunting assignment as Premier League-bound Sheffield United arrive in Bedfordshire this weekend.
Bloomfield has failed to revive the Hatters' hopes of survival so far, with the Blades likely to take advantage of their struggling hosts at Kenilworth Road.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Carter White
