Sheffield United travel to Kenilworth Road tomorrow to face a Luton Town side for the first time in fifteen years. With just one point on the board, Slavisa Jokanovic’s Blades side will be searching for their first league victory of the season.
The last time that the Blades faced Luton was during their promotion to the Premier League during the 2005-06 season.
The pair last met on game 45 (of 46), at Kenilworth Road. The Blades had already secured promotion, finishing second behind Reading, and had games against Luton and Crystal Palace remaining to complete the season. The game finished 1-1 in dramatic fashion and the hosts will no doubt have seen themselves unfortunate to have not gained maximum points. Not only did the Blades level in the 90th through Michael Tonge’s free-kick, cancelling out Ahmed Brkkovic’s opener on 72 minutes. Earlier in the game, on 54 minutes, the Hatters were left to rue a missed opportunity after Rown Vine blasted his spot-kick over Paddy Kenny’s goal after Chris Morgan had fouled Warren Feeney in the box.
The Blades have come into the new Championship season on the back of relegation from the Premier League, and the wave of negativity seemingly has followed them into the new campaign as they search for their first league victory of the season. United have made progression in the League Cup after putting Carlisle United to the sword in round one (1-0), and on Tuesday night, despite falling a goal behind, they brushed past Derby County, winning 2-1 to book a place in round three at home to Southampton.
Blades boss Slavisa Jokanovic may add new recruits before the weekend; however, he has already indicated that keeper Wes Foderingham will face Luton. Against Derby, the gaffer made several changes to the side that had lost 2-1 to Huddersfield the previous Saturday, and is likely to change the starting eleven again, though he may include left full-back, Rhys Norrington-Davies, to face his former side. The Welsh international made 22 appearances during a loan spell at Kenilworth Road last season.
Since securing promotion to the Championship in 2018, the Hatters have comfortably ensured their league status for the past few years. They have begun this season in a reasonable fashion with two wins and two defeats to their name. They were compressively beaten in their last game – losing 5-0 at home to Birmingham City last weekend. Former Blade Scott Hogan had netted a brace in an otherwise one-sided scoreline. Having been eliminated from the Carabao Cup in the first round, the Hatters had no midweek fixture to disrupt any preparations for the visit of Sheffield United tomorrow.
Hatters boss Nathan Jones is likely to name a similar side that lost to Birmingham, though he will be without a number of key personnel through injury and illness. Luke Berry (leg), Danny Hylton (leg), Jordan Clark (concussion), and Sonny Bradley (covid), all expected to be absent from this weekend’s fixture.
Last Six Meetings
22.10.1994 – Sheffield United 1-3 Luton Town (FL Division One)
03.12.1994 – Luton Town 3-6 Sheffield United (FL Division One)
31.01.1996 – Luton Town 1-0 Sheffield United (FL Division One)
23.03.1996 – Sheffield United 1-0 Luton Town (FL Division One)
01.11.2005 – Sheffield United 4-0 Luton Town (Championship)
22.04.2006 – Luton Town 1-1 Sheffield United (Championship)