Sheffield United take on Reading FC in the Championship tonight looking to restore a seven-point lead over Middlesbrough in third, in what’s their game in-hand. 

It’s been a tough few weeks for the Blades, despite them reaching the last-eight of the FA Cup with an impressive win over Tottenham. Paul Heckingbottom’s side have lost three of their last four league fixtures, encouraging both Boro and Blackburn Rovers that there might be a chance to outstrip them in the race for automatic promotion.

Currently, Middlesbrough are the Blades’ nearest challengers and Blackburn are a real outside bet, having only really muscled their way into the conversation thanks to a win against Sheffield United on Saturday. Should Heckingbottom oversee a win tonight, it opens up a nine-point gap between themselves and Rovers.

However, it’s worth looking at what the run-in holds beyond tonight’s game between Sheffield United and Reading, when there will be an 11-game sprint to the finish line.

Full fixture list

Sheffield United 

  • Reading (A)
  • Luton (H)
  • Sunderland (A)
  • Norwich (A)
  • Wigan (H)
  • Burnley (A)
  • Cardiff (H)
  • Bristol City (H)
  • Huddersfield (A)
  • West Brom (H)
  • Preston (H)
  • Birmingham (A)

Middlesbrough 

  • Swansea (A)
  • Stoke (H)
  • Preston (H)
  • Huddersfield (A)
  • Burnley (H)
  • Bristol City (A)
  • Norwich (H)
  • Hull (H)
  • Luton (A)
  • Rotherham (A)
  • Coventry (H)

Blackburn Rovers 

  • Stoke (A)
  • Reading (H)
  • Birmingham (A)
  • Norwich (H)
  • Huddersfield (A)
  • Hull (H)
  • Coventry (H)
  • Preston (A)
  • Burnley (H)
  • Luton (H)
  • Millwall (A)

Sheffield United lock horns with four of the current top-10 and three of the top-six. That includes Saturday’s meeting with fifth-placed Luton Town, a midweek trip to Sunderland next week and a clash with Norwich City on the other side of the March international break. A game with Burnley at Turf Moor on Easter Monday has a big circle around it, too.

Burnley, who have one hand on the Championship title, are likely to have a big say in the automatic promotion race. They face Middlesbrough on Good Friday, meaning they take on the main challengers for second in what’s usually a deciding Easter period. They also travel to Blackburn on April 25th.

Michael Carrick’s Boro face Luton and Norwich, like Sheffield United, albeit away and at home respectively. Coventry City (currently eighth) away on the final day of the season is also not an easy ask for the Teessiders.

Blackburn continue the trend of facing Luton and Norwich, with Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side hosting that pair. They also have a challenging final fixture of the season away at Millwall, who are in the mix for the play-offs.

Of the final day fixtures, Sheffield United’s trip to Birmingham City looks the easiest on paper.

There’s a chance that a lot could be settled before that, though, with Sheffield United’s run of Wigan Athletic, Cardiff City and Bristol City at home over April presenting them with a good opportunity for nine points at Bramall Lane. A trip to Huddersfield Town in late April could also be straightforward.

Minus a facing Huddersfield at the John Smith’s Stadium, neither Boro or Blackburn face any of the current bottom five in what remains of the season. Boro do, however, play six of the seven teams sitting between 12th and 18th who, essentially, have very little to play for.

Blackburn make an interesting case for the top-two but your gut-feeling is that a win for Sheffield United tonight does shut the door on them finishing in the top-two. Even if they hang onto the coattails, they face Burnley, Luton and Millwall in their final three fixtures of the season, in what’s a big ask for points.

As it is, it feels like a shootout between Sheffield United and Middlesbrough for second. The Blades can really cement an advantage by beating Reading tonight, knowing that four home fixtures in April gives them a chance of edging over the line.