Talk amongst the terraces will be the up and coming trip to Old Trafford in the 3rd round of the Emirates Cup, the cup trophy as it were, following vivtory over Oldham Athletic in Round 2 last Saturday. Whilst the Blades' supporters can look forward to their first FA Cup tie with Manchester United in 20 years, it is the bread and butter of League One which remains the most valuable.
Ten-man Sheffield United booked their place in the third round of the FA Cup with a nervy 1-0 win over Oldham at Bramall Lane. A goal early in the second half from Matt Done was enough to secure the win for the Blades. Neither side were able to break the deadlock during a first half which saw very few chances.
Oldham came closest in the first period, with Danny Philliskirk turning Mark Yeates' low free-kick onto the post. The home side got the only goal of the game. Straight after the re-start. Done wriggled through the Oldham defence and calmly lifted the ball over David Cornell into the far corner in the 47th minute.
Twenty minutes later, the Blades were down to ten when striker Che Adams was given a straight red card after appearing to push Latics skipper Liam Kelly in the face. Oldham pressed for the equaliser but rarely threatened George Long's goal and were reduced to long-range shots from Philliskirk and Timothee Dieng. John Brayford almost added a second for United but one goal proved to be enough.
Sheffield United will be without suspended striker Che Adams for the visit of high-flying Coventry on Sunday. Adams must serve a three-match ban following his dismissal in the wake of an altercation with Oldham captain Liam Kelly during last weekend's FA Cup win ruling him out against his former Academy side. He will also also sit out back to back away fixtures at Scunthorpe United and Wigan Athletic - he will be availabnle for selection again on 28 December at home to Bradford City.
Defender Bob Harris will be assessed after a bout of concussion and could be cleared to play following the mandatory six-day break. Winger Jamal Campbell-Ryce and defender David Edgar have been troubled by hamstring problems but could return as manager Nigel Adkins aims to secure the Blades a first League One win since October 20. Midfielder Jose Baxter may feature again if fit after being disciplined by the club for an unspecified incident.
Blades-Mad Prediction: Sheffield United 3 Coventry City 1
