Blackburn Rovers vs Sheffield United: EFL Cup Clash Preview

Blackburn and Sheffield United put unbeaten starts on the line when they collide in the EFL Cup second round at Ewood Park on Tuesday night, with both sides looking for more than just safe passage – they want momentum.

Mowbray’s second act gathers pace

Blackburn Rovers arrive with a bit of a swagger. Back under Tony Mowbray, the club’s former promotion-chaser turned returning firefighter, they have started the 2026-27 campaign with resilience and late drama.

It began at Burton Albion in the first round of this competition, where Blackburn flirted with an early exit. They trailed 1-0 heading into the final 10 minutes before Andri Gudjohnsen dragged them level and Jayden Fevrier struck an 88th-minute winner. A scrape, but a statement: they would not fold.

The league schedule has done them few favours, yet they have taken four points from two demanding Championship fixtures. At newly-promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers, they led before conceding a late penalty and settling for a 2-2 draw. On Saturday, they did it the hard way again, coming from behind to beat Middlesbrough with another second-half surge. Gudjohnsen scored for the third straight competitive game, Todd Cantwell joined him on the scoresheet, and Mowbray’s side turned another tight contest their way.

Now the focus sharpens on the Cup again. Three games into the season, Blackburn remain unbeaten, scoring late, playing with belief, and sensing an opportunity to punch through to the third round.

They must do it, though, without a clutch of injured players. Moussa Baradji, Dion De Neve, Augustus Kargbo, Lewis Miller and Scott Wharton are all sidelined. Mowbray still named a strong XI in the first round, but this time he is expected to shuffle the pack.

Fevrier, the match-winner at Burton, is in line for his first start of the season, as is Mathias Jorgensen in the attacking line. Hayden Carter could step into defence, Jake Garrett may get the nod in midfield, and Gudjohnsen – with a goal in every competitive outing so far – is likely to spearhead the attack again.

A possible Blackburn XI: Toth; Alebiosu, Atcheson, Carter, Ribeiro; Garrett, Forshaw; Fevrier, Ohashi, Jorgensen; Gudjohnsen.

Wilder’s Blades solid but blunt

Sheffield United arrive from a different angle. Chris Wilder’s side are unbeaten too, but their story so far is about control and clean sheets rather than goals and comebacks.

They opened the season in this competition with a professional 3-0 win away at Mansfield Town. Patrick Bamford, Mark McGuinness and Callum O’Hare all found the net, and United cruised into round two with minimal fuss.

Since then, the Championship has exposed a different side of their character. Two games, two 0-0 draws – first at home to Birmingham City, then away at Swansea City. The Blades are the only team in the division yet to score, but they are also one of just two sides to have kept back-to-back clean sheets. Organised, disciplined, hard to break down – but still waiting for the attack to ignite.

All of this plays out against a tense backdrop at Bramall Lane. Ownership issues and the spectre of a potential points deduction have dominated the early-season noise. On the pitch, Wilder has responded by tightening the structure and banking defensive stability.

He could make changes for this tie as well. Kalvin Phillips is still not fit, and Ryan One missed the Swansea trip with injury, trimming his options slightly. Wilder moved to a 3-5-2 shape for that second league game, and he has several defensive pieces he can rotate into that system. Matt Doherty, Jamal Baptiste and Rhys Norrington-Davies are all candidates to freshen up the back line.

Higher up the pitch, there is scope for a different look. Jamie Shackleton and Jairo Riedewald are both pushing for first starts of the season in midfield. Up front, Tom Cannon, Romelle Donovan and Tyrese Campbell are all hoping to be unleashed, with O’Hare having supported key man Bamford at the weekend.

A possible Sheffield United XI: Cooper; Baptiste, McGuinness, Norrington-Davies; Doherty, Riedewald, Arblaster, Burrows; Donovan, Campbell, Cannon.

Fine margins at Ewood

So it comes down to this: Blackburn, with their late surges and attacking rhythm, against a Sheffield United side that has forgotten how to concede but is still searching for fluency in the final third.

Rovers carry the sharper edge in front of goal, especially if Gudjohnsen’s streak continues and Mowbray’s rotated side keeps its intensity. Sheffield United, though, will not be easy to shift. Three straight clean sheets tell their own story.

The sense is that something has to give. On current form, Blackburn look the more likely to find that decisive moment.

Prediction: Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Sheffield United.