Sheffield United head to the south coast on Wednesday night to take on an out-of-form Southampton side at St Mary’s.
Saints come into the match off the back of a 2-1 home defeat to Hull City last weekend, a result that further underlined their struggles for consistency. Victory has been difficult to come by in recent weeks, with their last three points coming in early December. Despite flashes of quality, Southampton have found it difficult to convert their performances into results and the pressure is starting to mount on the south coast.
Meanwhile, United travel south after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Charlton Athletic on Saturday, but the scoreline told only a fraction of the story. Reduced to nine men for much of the contest, the Blades produced a performance full of resilience and organization that received widespread praise.
Prior to the first red card, Chris Wilder’s side looked good value for three points, creating several clear-cut chances that were only denied by a series of outstanding saves from the Addicks goalkeeper in the first half.
That spirit and togetherness will be needed again on Wednesday night as the United squad has been hit by a combination of suspensions, injuries and illnesses. Japhet Tanganga and Djibril Soumare begin three-match suspensions following their sending offs at The Valley, while Jairo Riedewald is expected to be sidelined for a couple of weeks with a hamstring injury after missing the Charlton game.
Sheffield United face several personnel problems
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 17: Japhet Tanganga of Sheffield United interacts with referee Oliver Langford after teammate El Hadji Djibril Soumare (not pictured) receives a red following a challenge on Harvey Knibbs of Charlton Athletic (not pictured) during the Sky Bet Championship match between Charlton Athletic and Sheffield United at The Valley on January 17, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by James Fearn/Getty Images)
Wilder revealed the frustration surrounding Riedewald’s injury, which came at the worst possible time. “He will be out for a couple of weeks,” explained the United coach in his pre-match press conference. “It was a strange 48 hours before the game against Charlton. Everyone was fit and eager to play, the team was selected and we had made all the preparations thanks to two outstanding performances.
“Jairo has been a very important part of where we have come and the last action of a shortened game in the day minus one, he reached to keep a ball in, hit it with his heel and then fell. It was a big blow, especially knowing the game we were playing and the situation with Oliver Arblaster, Sydie Peck and Tom Davies.”
Peck returned to the matchday squad at the weekend, although Wilder admitted it was not an ideal situation. “We had to put pressure on Sydie, which wasn’t ideal,” he said. “We would have liked to have Tom on the field too.”
United are also monitoring Tyler Bindon, whose availability remains unclear after the New Zealander was forced out of the game against Charlton due to illness. His absence would be another blow, especially given his promising collaboration with Tanganga before his dismissal. “Tyler wasn’t good over the weekend,” Wilder added. “It didn’t seem like it because he was outstanding in a blossoming partnership with Japh. They were dominant for the first 30-35 minutes.”
Further concerns remain over Sam McCallum, with Wilder confirming the defender is a doubt. “He’ll possibly be out on Wednesday,” he said. “We will have to see how he is and how he recovers from the challenge in the game against Charlton.”
Southampton’s own team news focuses on Shea Charles, with the highly-rated midfielder still sidelined with a hamstring problem that has kept him out since October, although a return is expected in the coming weeks.
Wilder gives deadline for new signings
Despite the growing problems, Wilder remains encouraged by the competition within his team. “Competition for places is intense,” he said. “There are no tricks for what you could have done last season or anywhere else. This is a team that is playing well right now and those that are playing deserve to be.”
Wilder also stated regarding the new signings: “Now it will be difficult on Wednesday, but we are working towards the weekend.”
While the Blades are considering some key additions to bolster the squad, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that talented Blades defender Nils Zatterstrom could be on his way to Genoa on loan for the rest of the season with an option to buy.
Zatterstrom signed from Malmo in the summer and has not played a single game for United, and has only been on the bench three times.
