Blades must not let derby pass them by - Wilder

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder will welcome Sheffield Wednesday counterpart Danny Rohl for the first Steel City derby in over five years on Sunday

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder says his side will not be afraid of losing when they host their biggest rivals Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday.

The Steel City clubs have not played one another since a goalless draw in March 2019.

Lifelong Blades fan Wilder is in his second spell in charge of United and is unbeaten in his four previous derbies against the Owls.

"We can't let the game pass us by. We understand what this can do for a season and how important it is for us," he told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"We have a chance of going top of the league if things go for us over the weekend and extending our outstanding home record.

"I've lived in this city most of my life and I know what this means to the man in the street."

He added: "Having been brought up in and witnessed it close hand, not as a player unfortunately - one of my biggest regrets, it's swung one way and then the other through the years.

"It's unpredictable, it's passionate and it's important to everybody."

The Blades have made an excellent start to the season after being relegated from the Premier League last season.

They have won their past five games in front of their own fans without conceding a goal.

Wilder said that keeping a level head would be key.

"You've got to get the balance right. I'm emotionally tied in to it but there's a lot of tactical preparation that needs to go into it," the 57-year-old added.

"Everyone will try and pick up on little bits like who has played in one before and who hasn't, he's from Sheffield and he's from Germany... It's all talk but the main event is at 12:30 on Sunday.

"You've got to be emotionally balanced about it."

Team news

Sheffield United have injury concerns over striker Kieffer Moore (calf) and forward Rhian Brewster.

Moore came on as a substitute in Tuesday's win at Bristol City but had to come off after 15 minutes, while Brewster has missed the past two games.

Sheffield Wednesday could name the same XI that started Tuesday's 2-0 win against Norwich City.

Rohl wants to give Owls fans a 'present'

Owls boss Danny Rohl is going into his first derby since taking over at Hillsborough in October 2023.

He helped Wednesday avoid relegation to League One with a final day victory at Sunderland in May and said the prospect of a derby this season was discussed straight afterwards.

"Last season when we stayed in the league everyone spoke immediately about the derby. It was their first reaction," he told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"It's a gap of five years since we last played and they have been more up than us since then but now we have this challenge on the same level."

Wednesday have not won a derby at Bramall Lane since 2009 and are without victory against their cross-city rivals since 2012.

Rohl, 35, has said his side will do "everything" to end that run on Sunday.

"We can give our supporters a big present," he said.

"They spend all their money for the tickets and travelling for us and we can not forget what it means to them.

"This is a big passion and we will do everything to give them a good Sunday."