Manager Chris Wilder spoke today about Sheffield United’s prospects for Saturday’s game against Leicester City, a side they have not beaten since 2008.

Wilder interviewed unsuccessfully for Foxes manager last summer following their Premier League relegation, a point heavily laboured in this morning’s press conference.

Despite being “disappointed not to get that gig”, Mr Wilder said the rejection “worked out fantastically”, as he is happy to be back managing United.

In answer to questions about the mood surrounding this personal ‘grudge’ match he said: “There’s an incredible amount of respect, they’re one of the strongest groups of players there’s been”.”

Sheffield United last played on Wednesday against Portsmouth, who they beat 3-0.

The Blades have played three games in the last six days, and when asked if his side was fatigued, Mr Wilder voiced some frustration, saying they “need to overcome a little bit of a juggling act”.

We spoke to Mr Wilder more about the busy schedule:

The schedule gives Leicester a slight advantage, as they last played Southampton on Tuesday, a loss that saw them drop to 15th in the table.

Mr Wilder said: “We’d like it flipped the other way of course, any advantage you can get in this division you want to take.”

The onslaught of fixtures hits harder as United are missing five players thanks to an injury crisis, but despite setbacks, Mr Wilder remained positive.

He spoke highly of the abilities of new signings Jairo Reidewald and Tahith Chong and stressed “consistency is really key”.

This attitude has been seen in recent results for the Blades, who squarely beat Sheffield Wednesday and Portsmouth this week.

Mr Wilder said: “This is a big challenge for us, they can produce performances if they want to.”

However he also said that for teams on a “downward trajectory” like Leicester, “winning games is tough.”

The sides last played each other in the 2020/21 premier league season, when Leicester won 5-0.

(Coverage of the game will be shown from 11:30 on Sky Sports +, kick off at 12:30.)

Picture credit- Sheffield United