How many substitutions Sheffield United and Sunderland AFC can make in the Championship play-off final | OneFootball

We looked at how many substitutions Sheffield United and Sunderland will be able to make in Saturday's play-off final.

Sheffield United take on Sunderland in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Saturday.

It had looked as though Sheffield United were in pole position to achieve automatic promotion in early April, but three consecutive defeats against Oxford United, Millwall and Plymouth Argyle dealt a huge blow to their top two hopes, and they eventually finished third in the table, while Sunderland spent the entire second half of the campaign sitting in fourth place.

There was a 14-point gap between the two teams during the regular season, and that deficit would have been even greater had the Blades not received a two-point deduction, but that will count for nothing when the two sides walk out at the national stadium this weekend.

Sheffield United will be looking to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt after last season's relegation, while Sunderland are aiming to return to the top flight after an eight-year exile, which also saw them spend four years in League One.

Of course, the prize of playing among England's elite will be the main motivation for both sides, but the winner of what is described as the richest game in football will also receive a minimum of £200 million in extra revenue, so there is plenty on the line.

Sheffield United and Sunderland set for huge Wembley showdown

Sheffield United and Sunderland both did enough to overcome their respective play-off semi-final opponents, but it is fair to say they booked their places in the final in very different fashions.

The Blades were handed a huge advantage midway through their semi-final first leg against Bristol City at Ashton Gate when Rob Dickie was controversially sent off, and they certainly exploited their numerical advantage, with Harrison Burrows' penalty and strikes from Andre Brooks and Callum O'Hare giving them a three-goal lead ahead of the return fixture at Bramall Lane.

The Robins made a decent start to the second leg, but they simply had too much of a mountain to climb, and United soon took full control of the game, with goals from Kieffer Moore, Gustavo Hamer and O'Hare sealing another comprehensive win and setting a new record for the biggest ever Championship play-off victory.

Sunderland suffered five consecutive defeats to end the regular season, so they were not widely fancied heading into their semi-final first leg against Coventry, but they picked up a surprise 2-1 win at the CBS Arena thanks to goals from Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda either side of Jack Rudoni's equaliser.

The Black Cats set out to defend their lead in the second leg at the Stadium of Light, and they were punished for their lack of attacking ambition in the second half when Ephron Mason-Clark put the Sky Blues ahead, but with penalties looming, Dan Ballard headed in a 122nd-minute equaliser to send Regis Le Bris' men to Wembley, sparking wild scenes of celebration in the home end.

With so much at stake at Wembley, VAR will be in operation for the Championship play-off final on Saturday, while there will be in-stadium announcements from referee Chris Kavanagh, and Hawkeye Goal Technology and semi-automated offside technology will also be in use.

Just as in the regular season and the play-off semi-finals, Sheffield United and Sunderland will be able to name a 20-man matchday squad for the game, and they will be able to make a maximum of five substitutions during the 90 minutes, providing that they are done within no more than three separate windows.

However, many are expecting the game to be quite a close contest, and should it go to extra time, both the Blades and the Black Cats would be permitted to make an extra substitution, and if either team was to make less than three substitutions during the 90 minutes, they would then be carried over into the additional period, while two concussion substitutions will also be available if required.

As is often the case in big games, the use of the bench by both managers could be crucial, and Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has a near fully fit squad to choose from for the play-off final, with defender Femi Seriki and forward Ben Brereton Diaz both expected to be fit enough to feature.

Sunderland had been sweating over the fitness of wingers Patrick Roberts and Romaine Mundle ahead of the trip to Wembley, but Le Bris said this week that "everyone is available, more or less", which suggests that the pair could both play a part against the Blades.