'You've got to keep believing' Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder tells his team

Despite losing 10 of their opening 11 matches, United remain only six points from safety ahead of Sunday’s trip to Southampton.

With Manchester United scheduled to make the journey to Bramall Lane four days after their appearance at St Mary’s - and fellow strugglers Brighton and Hove Albion next on the agenda - United have an opportunity to cut the gap before the Christmas period.

Although Wilder was critical of his players’ decision making during the defeat by Leicester City - particularly during the build-up to Jamie Vardy’s 90th minute winner - he said: “The lads have shown they can do it because they have been ‘in’ every single game they’ve played.

“We’ve just got to carry on working hard, carry on believing and if we do that - continue to put everything in - then I’m sure things will turn for us.

“Yes, there’s things we can do better and yes, we have got to look at ourselves. We’re not ignoring that and we won’t ignore that.

“But we’re also doing a lot of things well, certainly as well as we did last season.”

Wilder, who steered United to ninth in the table last term only a year after guiding them out of the Championship, hopes to have Enda Stevens and Ethan Ampadu available for selection against Ralph Hassenhutl’s side after the duo missed both the meeting with City and the loss to West Bromwich Albion due to injury. Stevens also sat out the recent clash with West Ham after limping through the closing stages of the visit to Chelsea at the beginning of last month.

With centre-forward Lys Mousset also receiving treatment for an ankle problem sustained during training, Wilder said: “We need these lads back as quickly as possible. We have to have our best players available.

"We’re all in this together and it will be great to have nearly the whole group back together again.”