Cardiff City vs Sheffield United: Championship Gameweek 3 Preview
VAVEL.com · Dylan Seymour; VAVEL com · 2026-08-27T15:23:57+00:00 · nguồn gốc
It's a battle of the two-pointers in Cardiffas the bluebirds duel the blades. Each side, with double draws apiece, are eyeing up their first three points of the 26/27 campaign.
Just one week after a forgettable 0-0 draw with Swansea City, Chris Wilder and Sheffield United will look to make their next trip to South Wales more enjoyable.
Standing in their way, promoted side Cardiff City are seeking to turn resilience into results. Their young, injury hit side have earned draws against last term's play-off hopefuls Wrexham AFC and Derby County, but are yet to see victory thus far.
Against the rams, Brian Barry-Murphy was forced to field an entirely makeshift back four after injuries wiped out every senior centre-back. Full-backs Joel Bagan and Perry Ng stepped up, and came away with a point.
In City's last match, a cup loss to Norwich City, 15-year-old Noah Anyadike started at centre-half. The Welshman is Cardiff City's - and the EFL cup's - youngest ever player.
With defensive reinforcements not yet fully available, Cardiff's cut-and-stick backlines may yet continue, and the Welsh side will hope that Sheffield United's distinct lack of creative spark proves advantageous.
Still yet to patch a star-shaped hole left by Gus Hamer, the blades have hardly rocked the boat so far. Japhet Tanganga and Mark McGuinness have kept things tight at the back, but United remain the division's sole goalless side.
Chris Wilder can be encouraged, however. Mixed-bag striker Tom Cannon and young winger Romelle Donovan are both off-the-mark following this week's EFL Cup matches.
Sheffield United have not lost at the Cardiff City Stadium since 2017, when Neil Warnock manned the blue dugout.
Team News
The bluebirds defensive options continue to look shallow, with centre-backs Calum Chambers, Will Fish, and Dylan Lawlor all expected to be absent.
City have been double-bolstered by Krystian Bielik's signing and by Gabriel Osho's return to training, although neither are fully fit.
Sheffield United will field a relatively full-strength side on Saturday. Injury-hit Kalvin Phillips played 30 minutes in Tuesday's EFL Cup tie, and should feature in South Wales.
Question marks remain over blades' right-side duo Femi Seriki and Tahith Chong, however, as both players have battled early-season injury woes.
Likely Lineups
Cardiff City: Trott; Scanlon, Bagan, Ng, Kpakio; Robertson, Moylan; Ashford, Colwill, Tanner; Salech.
Sheffield United: Cooper; McCallum, Tanganga, McGuiness, Doherty; Donovan, Rothwell, Peck, O'Hare; Cannon, Bamford.
Key Players
Cardiff will soon be able to rely on the experience and quality of new signing Bielik - but perhaps not this weekend. As the Polish international works toward consistent availability, it's up to Ng and Bagan to man the central defences yet again.
Whether they play for Swindon Town or Italian titans AS Roma, Yousef Salech causes defenders nightmares. Cardiff's Great Dane is off to a flyer in 26/27, with four goals in four matches across all competitions.
Only weeks ago, bladesboss Chris Wilder told the media that Mark McGuinness would not be in his plans for the season, and the Irishman has responded perfectly. Sheffield United are yet to concede a league goal this season, and their number 25 can claim much of the credit.
Tom Cannon and Kalvin Phillips have faced mixed fortunes at Bramall Lane, but performed well in overcoming Tony Mowbray's Blackburn Rovers midweek. As both players seek redemption, a good showing at the weekend could prove decisive.
Match Details
Where is the match taking place?
Cardiff will face Sheffield United at the 33,280-capacity Cardiff City Stadium
What time is kick-off?
Referee John Busby will begin play at 15:00 on Saturday 29 August
How can I watch?
There are currently no plans for a TV broadcast, but highlights will be published following the game on each club's YouTube channels