Sheffield United travel to Watford in their opening game of the 2022/23 Championship season on Monday night.
After narrowly missing out on promotion last season, the Blades will undoubtedly be looking to improve upon their shortcomings in their previous campaign.
Paul Heckingbottom enters his first full season as head coach after redeeming the Yorkshire club’s campaign due to their underwhelming league position under the leadership of previous boss Slavisa Jokanovic.
An opening fixture against Watford will certainly be a challenge for the Blades. After facing relegation last season, it has been a relatively busy transfer window for the Hornets who have brought in a number of top talents such as Rey Manaj and Vakoun Issouf Bayo.
The Hertfordshire side look set to potentially be promotion contenders with new manager Rob Edwards at the helm.
How will Sheffield United line up?
Last season, Heckingbottom opted for a 3-4-1-2 formation, so he’ll likely do the same in the new campaign.
Last season’s number one Wes Foderingham will be the leading contender to start in between the sticks, though Adam Davies provides a solid back-up option.
Veteran defender Chris Basham may struggle for game-time this season with young talent Anel Ahmedhodzic looking to become an integral member of Sheffield United’s squad.
Tommy Doyle is also a promising prospect that could once again impress in the Championship this year after performing well during his previous loan spell with Cardiff City.
Sheffield United are currently lacking in depth up front and could go with experienced striker Billy Sharp and Iliman Ndiaye, who had an impressive second half of last season, at the top of the pitch.
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Here’s our predicted Sheffield United XI for Sunday’s game v Watford, which fans can watch live on Sky Sports:
