Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom with Chris Basham: Simon Bellis / SportimageSheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom with Chris Basham: Simon Bellis / Sportimage
Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom with Chris Basham: Simon Bellis / Sportimage

Sheffield United v Reading: Chris Basham back? Match prediction and Blades starting XI for Good Friday clash

Will it be a Good Friday for Sheffield United as they take on Reading at Bramall Lane tomorrow afternoon?

Paul Heckingbottom, his side and Unitedites will certainly hope so – the Championship promotion race is about to enter the final straight and any slip-ups at this stage could be very costly indeed.

United are in control of their own destiny, sitting sixth with five games remaining, and three of those are at home – starting with the clash with Paul Ince’s side, who are 21st in the table but have embarked on a decent run of form of late, opening up an eight-point gap between themselves and the bottom three.

United may have a few selection headaches, especially if Chris Basham is declared fit. The centre-half has missed two months of action but returned to training this week.

If United can impose themselves on the game early on, then it could be a difficult afternoon for Reading. Danny’s prediction: Sheffield United 2, Reading 0.

Here’s the side he would pick to face the Royals …

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.