Fleetwood Town head coach Matt Lawlor has praised Sheffield United and manager Chris Wilder as 'amazing' ahead of their Carabao Cup third-round tie on Wednesday. The Blades travel to Highbury Stadium aiming to reach the competition's fourth round for the first time since the 2014/15 season.
Lawlor said his side must show huge respect to their Championship opponents. "We have to pay huge respect to Sheffield United because it’s going to be really tough," the Fleetwood boss stated. "They’re a Championship team managed by an amazing manager who has won so much throughout his career."
Sheffield United enter the cup fixture on the back of a 1-0 Championship defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, a result that ended a three-game winning run. Their recent form shows three wins, one draw and one loss from their last five matches, a sequence you can review on our stats page. Chris Wilder's side have already seen off Mansfield Town and Blackburn Rovers in this season's Carabao Cup.
Fleetwood, currently seventh in League Two, are the lowest-ranked team remaining in the competition and are unbeaten in eight matches across league and cup this term. Lawlor acknowledged the scale of the challenge but sees it as a major opportunity for his club. He wants his players to represent the town with desire and character in what he calls a fantastic occasion.
For Sheffield United, the match offers a chance to build momentum after the Wolves setback and handle past a potential upset. The Blades are one of only three Championship clubs left in the last 16, alongside Norwich City and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Wilder will be assessing his squad options with several players currently sidelined, including Femi Seriki, Harrison Burrows and Tahith Chong, whose status is tracked on our injuries page. The winner of Wednesday's tie will be in the draw for the fourth round, with the full schedule available on our fixtures list.
First reported at thestar.co.uk
