Sheffield United
A reshuffled back line gave Jamal Baptiste his first start against Stoke City, continuing a pattern of changes under Chris Wilder. Mark McGuinness and Sam McCallum did not feature in that match, with Liam Kitching and Rhys Norrington-Davies now expected to start alongside Baptiste, while Japhet Tanganga has started every match.
Further forward, Ben Brereton Díaz has started all five matches but has been substituted in every one, while Patrick Bamford has scored twice from the opposite flank. Sheffield United remain without Femi Seriki, Harrison Burrows and Ryan One.
Lincoln City
Lincoln City travel to Sheffield United without Mason Melia and Tendayi Darikwa through injury, while Tom Hamer remains doubtful due to health problems.
Chris Cohen has used Sonny Bradley at both centre-back and left-back in recent weeks, with Andrei Coubiș and Ryley Towler also deployed in those positions. Dom Jefferies and Ivan Varfolomeev have two starts apiece over the same run but neither played against Swansea City, while Chiedozie Ogbene, who has started once, was introduced for the final 26 minutes of that match. Tom Bayliss has started three of the last five games and was withdrawn in the 59th and 61st minutes in two of them.
