Eleven absences loom as Blackburn host Sheffield United on Tuesday

Blackburn Rovers will host Sheffield United on Tuesday evening in the Championship, but both clubs will be missing a total of eleven players through injury, suspension or contract disputes, leaving the Rovers desperate for a win and the Blades eager to bounce back from a recent defeat.

Blackburn's injury crisis

Tony Mowbray’s side opened the season with a 2‑2 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers and a 2‑1 victory over Middlesbrough, but have since slipped with defeats to QPR and Preston and a goalless draw at Lincoln City. The back line is hit hard: Australian defender Lewis Miller ruptured his Achilles in February and remains out, while Scott Wharton’s minor thigh problem keeps him on the sidelines. Left‑back Harry Pickering, taken off at half‑time in the League Cup tie, has not featured since, and midfielder Augustus Kargbo, who arrived from Cesena in January, is still regaining fitness after a year of injury setbacks.

Sheffield United's depleted squad

Sheffield United have won just one of their opening five games, the 3‑2 win over Bolton, and have drawn with Birmingham, Swansea and Cardiff before the recent home loss to Norwich. Their right‑back Femi Seriki suffered a serious injury in the same League Cup clash and is expected to be out for a considerable period, adding to the list of unavailable players for the Blades.

Recent cup clash and its fallout

The two clubs met two weeks ago in the League Cup, where Sheffield United prevailed 2‑1. That encounter produced injuries to Blackburn’s Harry Pickering and Japanese forward Yuki Ohashi, who left after ten minutes, and to Sheffield United’s Seriki. Both managers will have to reshuffle their line‑ups, with Blackburn likely to rely on younger options in defence and United forced to adjust their right flank.

Action images By  James Pennington PM GMT+1 James is a Stoke City fan, born and raised in Stoke-on-Trent. He graduated from Leeds Beckett University in 2025 with a 1:1 (Hons) in Sports Journalism and began his Journalism career with shortly after. Add Us Summary Generate Like Follow Followed Thread Log Here Try Show Explain I’m Give.