Sheffield United handed double boost ahead of Leeds United clash | OneFootball

The pair are both just one booking away from a suspension.

Sheffield United enter the second international break following two months of near perfection.

Chris Wilder's side are currently second in the Championship, level on points with Sunderland, who have a goal difference that is just one better than the Blades'.

However, United's two-point deduction, that was handed to them ahead of the current campaign, is the only thing that is stopping them from topping the table after the first nine games of the 2024/25 season.

The Blades have conceded just three goals in those matches, with only Norwich City and, rather surprisingly, QPR, the only two sides to have breached the ever-impressive defence that Wilder's team possesses.

Their 2-0 victory over Luton Town on Saturday was yet another portrayal of how they are able to grind down teams through quick passing within the midfield, this time allowing Jesuran Rak-Sayki to net his first two goals since joining on loan from Crystal Palace in the summer.

However, there was also another huge positive for Sheffield United, as both Gustavo Hamer and Vini Souza kept themselves away from trouble with the referee, keeping them both available for a huge clash in just under two weeks.

Sheffield United handed major boost ahead of Leeds United game

The only real disappointment from the Blades' start to the season has been the number of yellow cards picked up, especially by key players, leaving them vulnerable to missing games with the cut-off for the first round of suspensions not coming until the 19th match of the campaign.

Both Hamer and Souza went into the Luton fixture on four bookings each, meaning that if either of them were shown a yellow card, they would miss United's crunch match against Leeds United when the Championship returns after the international break.

It's a huge game for both clubs, with Wilder hoping that his side can continue their unbeaten run, and show to the rest of the second tier just how good they truly are, while for the Whites, it is a matter of starting to show a level of consistency that has not been there yet.

Having both Hamer and Souza available at Elland Road will be imperative to Sheffield United's game plan, particularly with the former's current goal-scoring form, having found the back of the net four times in his first eight starts before he was dropped to the bench against the Hatters to avoid any potential complications with yellow cards.

Sheffield United will be hoping Hamer can add insult to injury against Leeds

In what was a transfer window of change for Leeds in the summer, they missed out on one of their biggest targets, Hamer.

The 27-year-old was the subject of multiple bids from Daniel Farke's team, even going as far as offering Joel Piroe in exchange for the midfielder, according to The Star, but this was later denied by those at Elland Road.

The meeting of the two clubs on 18 October, will be the first since that interest was made, and it is something that could add even more heat to one of the biggest games of the season so far.

Leeds will be hoping to show the former Coventry City man why he should have made the switch up the M1, while Sheffield United will be looking to prove their potential Premier League credentials and extend their unbeaten run in the league in 2024/25 to 10.

A goal for Hamer will perhaps be the icing on the cake for Wilder, who has been able to turn the central midfielder into arguably the best left-sider in the division, proving his versatility and showing the rest of the league that he will provide for his team no matter where he is played - something that can only be seen as bad news for Leeds.