Blackburn Rovers vs Sheffield United: EFL Cup Clash Preview

Blackburn and Sheffield United put unbeaten starts on the line on Tuesday night, with a place in the EFL Cup third round up for grabs at Ewood Park.

Both arrive with clean early-season records. Only one can keep it.

Mowbray’s second act gathers pace

Blackburn Rovers are only three games into Tony Mowbray’s return, but the mood around Ewood Park has shifted quickly.

His second spell began with drama in the first round of this competition at Burton Albion. Trailing 1-0 heading into the final 10 minutes, Rovers turned the tie on its head: Andri Gudjohnsen dragged them level, and Jayden Fevrier struck an 88th-minute winner to snatch a 2-1 victory and safe passage.

That late surge has set the tone.

In the Championship, Blackburn opened with a demanding trip to newly-promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers and came away with a 2-2 draw, only denied all three points by a late penalty. On Saturday, they did it the hard way again, coming from behind to beat Middlesbrough, with Gudjohnsen on target once more and Todd Cantwell completing another second-half turnaround.

Four points from two tricky league fixtures, three competitive games unbeaten, and goals arriving late when it matters. Mowbray’s side now swing back towards the cup, eyeing a third-round spot and the chance to keep building momentum under their returning manager.

Wilder’s Blades solid, but searching for a spark

Sheffield United make the short trip across the Pennines with their own unbeaten record intact, though the story feels different.

Chris Wilder’s men opened 2026-27 with a straightforward EFL Cup assignment at Mansfield Town and took care of business. A 3-0 win, with goals from Patrick Bamford, Mark McGuinness and Callum O'Hare, eased them into the second round and hinted at a more purposeful season after last year’s flat 13th-place finish in the Championship.

Since then, the Blades have been watertight but blunt. A goalless draw at home to Birmingham City, followed by another 0-0 at Swansea City, leaves them as the only side in the division yet to score in the league, but also one of just two clubs boasting two clean sheets.

The shutouts offer encouragement. The lack of goals does not.

All of this plays out against a troubled backdrop at Bramall Lane. Ownership concerns are growing, and the threat of a potential points deduction hangs over the campaign before it has truly begun. On the pitch, though, Wilder has at least fashioned a base: three games, three clean sheets in all competitions, and a platform to build from as they chase a place in the third round.

Team news and likely changes

Blackburn go into the tie still without several injured players. Moussa Baradji, Dion De Neve, Augustus Kargbo, Lewis Miller and Scott Wharton remain sidelined.

Mowbray named a strong XI for that opening cup win at Burton, but with the Championship schedule already demanding, he is expected to shuffle his pack. Fevrier, the late hero in round one, is in line for his first start of the season, as is Mathias Jorgensen in the attacking line.

Hayden Carter could be drafted into defence, with Jake Garrett an option to freshen up midfield. Up front, it would be no surprise to see Gudjohnsen keep his place; three games, three goals is a record few managers are keen to interrupt.

Sheffield United are also likely to rotate. Kalvin Phillips is still not fit enough to feature, while Ryan One missed the draw at Swansea through injury and remains a doubt.

Wilder moved to a 3-5-2 system for that second league outing and has options to tweak again. Matt Doherty, Jamal Baptiste and Rhys Norrington-Davies are all candidates to come into the back line as he manages minutes and maintains defensive solidity.

Further forward, Jamie Shackleton and Jairo Riedewald could be handed first starts of the season in midfield. In attack, Tom Cannon, Romelle Donovan and Tyrese Campbell will all be pushing for game time, with O'Hare having supported key man Bamford at the weekend.

Probable lineups

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

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

Prediction

Blackburn have hit the ground running under Mowbray, showing resilience, late-game punch and a striker in Gudjohnsen who cannot stop scoring. Sheffield United bring organisation and three straight clean sheets, but their only win so far has come against Mansfield and the goals have dried up since.

If both managers rotate, the tie may become a test of depth and rhythm. On current evidence, Blackburn look better placed to edge it.

Prediction: Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Sheffield United.