All you need to know ahead of Wigan v Sheffield United in the ChampionshipSheffield United are looking to continue their promotion push in their next match away at Wigan Athletic. The Blades will arrive in decent shape and looking to maintain their healthy lead over third place. Paul Heckingbottom's men ended Saturday's Yorkshire derby with Huddersfield with a four-point gap to Blackburn in third and they will be looking to build on that when they take to the pitch against Kolo Toure's side. It will be the newly-appointed Wigan boss's first home game in charge of the Latics and the TV cameras will also be in attendance. Here is everything you need to know about United's next Championship encounter. Read more: Sheffield United release statement after Oli McBurnie is found not guilty of assault What is the kick-off time? The game has been chosen for live TV coverage and has therefore been moved to 8pm. When and where The game takes place on Monday evening and will be played at Wigan's home ground, the DW stadium.
What Blackpool have told Reece James on Sheffield Wednesday future with transfer decision on horizon Reece James says Blackpool have given him some feedback on games But
for now, he is a Wednesday player and will have 12 months to go
“There’s a lot of things that could go either for or against us in that early part of the window and I think it depends on how aggressive we’re prepared to be and I think if we are and we’re quick and we’re off the mark really early days in the window, then it gives us a great chance to get the players that we want. ” Download the LancsLive app for free on iPhone here and Android here. Follow our Blackpool FC twitter page for regular updates, as well our Facebook page, and sign-up to our newsletter for all the latest news straight to your inbox every morning.
Blackpool v Sheffield United: Live updates from Bloomfield The Seasiders welcome promotion-chasing Sheffield United to the Fylde coast
as they look to get back to winning ways after enduring a seven-game
winless
Blackpool January transfer window stance on loan incomings outlinedMichael Appleton believes Blackpool will use the loan market in Janaury but feels permanent deals will be a priority ahead of them. The transfer window is now just a matter of days away from opening and the Seasiders are set to be active in the market. They are keen to hit the ground running and bring in reinforcements early on in January. The loan market could well play a part in that and Blackpool currently have five players on their books temporarily from other clubs. Liverpool's Rhys Williams, Leeds United's Ian Poveda, Arsenal's Charlie Patino, Manchester City's Lewis Fiorini and Theo Corbeanu of Wolves are all at Bloomfield Road.
Blackpool face potential season defining period when Championship resumes vs Birmingham City The December fixture list has four games for Blackpool and they end 2022 at
Bloomfield Road against second placed Sheffield
Kolo Touré makes three changes from Boxing Day Tendayi Darikwa & Tom Naylor return to the starting line-up Ashley Fletcher comes in for his first Latics league start! #wafc #BELIEVE— Wigan Athletic (@LaticsOfficial) December 29, 2022 18:47KEY EVENTThe teams are in... Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Wright, Ballard, O'Nien, Neil, Ba, Amad, Michut, Clarke, SimmsSubs: Bass, Matete, Roberts, Pritchard, Stewart, Dajaku, Bennette18:09James HunterEvening allHere we are at the DW Stadium, then. Looks like Mowbray will be forced into a few changes tonight. Can Sunderland make it back-to-back wins after their Boxing Day victory against Blackburn? Stuart JamiesonNorth West baseSunderland will work at Manchester United's training base between Christmas and New Year with the Black Cats set to spend four days in the North West.
Blackpool January transfer window stance on loan incomings as Michael Appleton pinpoints key factor The loan market could well play a part in that and Blackpool currently
verdict ahead of Hull City, Sheffield United & Sunderland
READ MORE: Blackpool's festive training verdict ahead of Hull City, Sheffield United & Sunderland clashes Appleton is targeting doing business early in the January window and the loan market could well play its part. But he is unwilling to bring in too many players on loan due to the pitfalls of perhaps becoming too reliant upon them.
Blackburn Rovers vs Middlesbrough Sky Sports TV channel details, how to stream & match odds The match is being broadcast on Sky Sports this evening. Here's how you can
watch the action unfold live, if you aren't at Ewood Park in
Why Cardiff's Saturday 3pm kick-off is live on TV this weekend but Swans' isn'tChampionship matches taking place at 3pm this weekend can be streamed live, at the discretion of the league's clubs. The second tier schedule has been halted for a month owing to the World Cup break but resumes on Saturday - with Blackburn Rovers hosting Lancashire rivals Preston North End at midday. That contest at Ewood Park will be screened live on Sky Sports, and, unusually, there will also be two 3pm Championship kick-offs shown by the TV giants on the same day.
He came on as a sub for the final minute of the home defeat against West Brom on December 12 and but did not even make the bench for the last two games at Hull City and then at home to Blackburn Rovers. Mowbray admits Dajaku will be frustrated at his lack of opportunities, particularly when Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms were both out injured earlier in the season. "I like Leon, " he said. "He works really hard. It's a difficult scenario for me of where you fit him into the structure if you're playing with [Jack] Clarke and [Patrick] Roberts and Ellis Simms down the middle, where do you fit him in? I think he could play anywhere across the front line.
Sheffield United Match Only Available To Watch In Selected Blackpool's Sky Bet Championship fixture at home to Sheffield United on
Due to the game being broadcast live on Sky Sports and in
His time with Blackpool is his first spell out on loan away from the North London club. The midfielder's contract is due to run out at the end of the season as things stand. It would mean he would be a free agent next summer. However, the Athletic now reports that Mikel Arteta's side are poised to activate an option in Patino's deal to keep him at the Emirates Stadium. It is reported to be a two-year option, which will keep Patino at Arsenal until the summer of 2025. Download the LancsLive app for free on iPhone here and Android here. Follow our Blackpool FC twitter page for regular updates, as well our Facebook page, and sign-up to our newsletter for all the latest news straight to your inbox every morning.
Charlie Patino's development pinpointed with Arsenal and Blackpool benefitting Blackpool manager Michael Appleton believes Charlie Patino has come
There's parts of his game that people probably questioned - even
Sky Sports pundits in agreement over Sheffield United star Billy Sharp's career READ MORE: Sheffield United may ring changes for Blackpool clash as
whole game, but you give him half a chance and he finds the back
Blackpool's festive training verdict ahead of Hull City, Sheffield It is a traditionally busy time of the season for professional footballers
with games coming thick and fast over Christmas and New Year.
"We feel it is best to stay over there and we've asked Manchester United if we can use their training facilities, and that's what we'll do. "Stuart JamiesonJewison BennetteJewison Bennette in action for Sunderland (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)Jewison Bennette will travel to the North-West with Sunderland after sitting out the Boxing Day win against Blackburn Rovers due to a minor foot injury, Tony Mowbray has revealed. The Costa Rica international was a notable absentee when the Black Cats' teamsheet was issued on Monday, with no place for him even on the bench despite having been named amongst the subs the previous week for the game at Hull City. And Mowbray has explained that Bennette had suffered a kick on his foot which meant he missed several days' training, and that led to the decision to leave him out.
The Black Cats face back-to-back games in Lancashire as they visit next-to-bottom Wigan Athletic tonight followed by the New Year's Day game at third-bottom Blackpool a week on Sunday. And rather than make two return trips across the Pennines in quick succession - with all the disruption to the squad's training that would involve - boss Tony Mowbray says the team will instead stay over between the two games, with Manchester United agreeing to allow the Black Cats to use their training facilities to prepare. "I think the [Christmas holiday] period itself is important because the games come thick and fast, so that Boxing Day fixture [against Blackburn] is one of three that come really quickly that week, " said Mowbray.
Mowbray was also conscious of the fact that Bennette had returned from the World Cup in need of building up his fitness again, making the missed training sessions all the more crucial. But Bennette is part of the group that will travel across the Pennines ahead of tonight's game at Wigan Athletic, and will stay there to prepare for Sunday's New Year's Day game at Blackpool. READ MORE HEREStuart JamiesonKeep or sell? January is just a few days away... Stuart JamiesonLeon DajakuLeon Dajaku of Sunderland (Image: 2022 Sunderland AFC)Leon Dajaku is likely to return to the Sunderland squad at Wigan Athletic tonight with boss Tony Mowbray insisting the German forward remains part of his plans. Dajaku has been a fringe figure in the first half of Sunderland's season, making only two starts and a handful of substitute appearances.
Due to the Saturday afternoon closed window (Article 48) not applying during the World Cup, clubs have the opportunity to allow fans to stream their matches. EFL chief executive Trevor Birch said: “With EFL fixtures continuing throughout the World Cup, we have a fantastic opportunity to showcase our competition, with supporters able to enjoy more access to watch their club play, whether at the ground, in the pub or at home. “While the winter World Cup has brought challenges for domestic leagues, for the EFL it also brings this opportunity to test how the streaming of live matches during traditionally blocked hours is received by fans that wish to watch their team, wherever they may be. ” Individual match streaming options come at the discretion of the home clubs, meaning not all Championship fixtures will be available to view on TV or online during the World Cup break. Swansea City host Norwich City on Saturday at 3pm, although the game will not be available for supporters in the United Kingdom and Ireland to watch online while it will only be shown in limited areas away from these shores due to Pitch International's selection of the game for live broadcast.
James Hunter is at the ground, as always, tonight, to bring you all the latest as it happens, plus the post-match reaction and analysis. 19:08KEY EVENTTeam news in fullFive changes for Sunderland tonight, with Edouard Michut making his first startTeam news in full18:49James HunterAnd the Wigan team... Here's how Wigan line up Here is your team news for this evening’s game against Sunderland...
How to watch the EFL over Christmas and New Year The following games are live on Sky Sports: QPR v Luton Town – Thursday, 29
December, 6pm; Blackpool v Sheffield United – Thursday, 29
"We've got to go to the North-West on the back of the Blackburn Rovers game and we're going to stay over in the North-West for four days between Christmas and the New Year. It's probably not ideal for family life, but the fixtures have thrown up Wigan and Blackpool and the correct thing to do is to stay there and rest properly, otherwise we would be getting back at 2am - like the fans will, unfortunately - but then do you bring the players in and train the next day, and then the very next day you would be coming in and getting back on the bus to go another three-and-a-half hours over to the North-West.
Millwall v Wigan Athletic, Middlesbrough v Luton Town and Blackpool v Birmingham City all kick-off at 3pm on Saturday but will not be shown live on Sky Sports. Queens Park Rangers v Burnley and Watford v Hull City are both available to view on Sky Sports on Sunday while Sunderland v West Brom is live on TV on Monday night. All League One and League Two games have been made available to stream live during the World Cup break so far.
'Matchwinner' Blackpool must be wary of as Michael Appleton delivers Cardiff City verdict Blackpool must be aware of Cardiff City forward Callum Robinson as
Reece James' Sheffield Wednesday loan spell and Blackpool