Chris Wilder believes Sheffield United can turn their gruelling run of away fixtures into an advantage as Derby County and Wrexham prepare to visit Bramall Lane, with the Blades looking to build on a productive week on the road.

Sheffield United are looking to take advantage of back-to-back home games after coming through two nightmare away trips relatively intact. The fixture gods certainly didn’t have Blades fans in mind when they sent United to Portsmouth and Bristol City within the space of four days.

But a bunch of hardy Unitedites still made the trip regardless and were almost rewarded with two positive results, with only a contentious refereeing call and an 89th-minute winner denying them a share of the spoils at Fratton Park.

They regrouped quickly to beat Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Saturday and now have two Bramall Lane games to look forward to, against struggling Derby County and big-spending Wrexham.

Asked if the fixture schedulers needed to have more consideration for supporters before the long double-header down south, boss Chris Wilder said: “They need to, but they obviously don’t.

“And they obviously didn't at the start of the season when they stuck us on a back-to-back trip to South Wales on two Saturdays. So there must be a reason behind it.

“I don't dig too deep into that but it's part of the Championship schedule that you have to deal with. Hopefully it works in our favour when we've got a couple of home games or we've got teams that are travelling to us.

“But it's something you have to get through. There’s a good feel about the group. The schedule is tough but you have to deal with Championship football as it is.”

Derby come to Bramall Lane having won just once all season while the Wrexham clash will have an interesting subplot after the Welshmen prised Callum O’Hare away from United on deadline day.

“The schedule from the start of the season has been crammed,” Wilder added. “And all the travelling you have to do. But hopefully we can take advantage of that coming back the other way.

“Because certainly there is an advantage and it's an obstacle that, if you want to be successful, you have to get over to have a decent points return. And two wins from three, knowing we should have had another result on Wednesday, is a decent return from a long and tough week.”