Wilder Confirms No Squad Rotation Despite Upcoming Derby

Chris Wilder, manager of Sheffield United, was awarded the Championship manager of the month for September following his team’s strong performance. Wilder stated that the upcoming Steel City derby on Sunday would not influence his team selection for Tuesday’s away match against Bristol City. The Blades are presently in the midst of a three-game week, which commenced with a notable 2-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday lunchtime. Nevertheless, Wilder indicated he is not inclined to rotate his squad for the fixture at Ashton Gate, despite his team’s crucial encounter with city rivals Sheffield Wednesday scheduled for the weekend. He informed BBC Radio Sheffield, “I haven’t thought about Sunday at all in terms of selection.” He further added, “The whole process has gone into Bristol City because they are a really good side.” Sheffield United currently holds the third position in the Championship standings, trailing Yorkshire rivals Leeds United by only one point, and Wilder expressed his desire to sustain the momentum his team has built over the last two months. He elaborated, stating, “I look at the team, what we need to put out there, who is fresh and who can go again.” Wilder also commented, “I think it’s a little bit different early on in the season because people are finding their form from a physical point of view but I think we all want that consistency.” Bristol City, Sheffield United’s opponents on Tuesday, are currently on an eight-match unbeaten streak, and Wilder remains cautious of the threat posed by the Robins. He emphasized, “Everything [will go] into Bristol City because of their unbeaten record for a few games now, [it’s] always a difficult place to go: they drew with Leeds, beat Middlesbrough, so if we take our eye off the ball in any way, shape or form we’ll get hurt on Tuesday night.”