Gillingham will host Premier League strugglers Sheffield United in the third round of the FA Cup. The two teams are meeting for the very first time in the FA Cup and for the first time in any competition since January 2017 when they played out a 2-2 draw in League One.
Preview (Gillingham vs. Sheffield United)
Gillingham has advanced to the FA Cup third round for the second year in a row. They defeated League One team Charlton Athletic and non-league Hereford United by scores of 2-0 in the opening two rounds. Since taking over as Gills manager in November, Stephen Clemence has managed 13 games in all. He has six wins under his belt, including back-to-back 1-0 triumphs in League Two over Sutton United and Colchester United the weekend before last. With the game-winning goal in both games, left-back Scott Malone helped Gillingham move up to 10th position. They are one point behind AFC Wimbledon in seventh, who hold the last playoff slot.
Gillingham will now concentrate on a glamorous FA Cup tie, a competition that holds special meaning for Clemence because his late father Ray Clemence twice won the nation’s most coveted trophy as a player, with Liverpool (1974) and Tottenham Hotspur (1982). Gillingham has lost nine of their last 11 games against Premier League opponents. They have also lost six of their last seven FA Cup third-round ties. There is little chance that they will advance far in this season’s contests. Chris Wilder took over as Sheffield United’s manager in early December, but in his second stint, the team has only won one, drawn one, and lost four of their last six games. Wilder has failed to make the kind of effect that the team needs.
The Blades lost to Manchester City, the defending Premier League champions, 2-0 last weekend. It marked their 15th league loss of the year. As a result, they are now at the bottom of the standings, seven points outside of safety. Sheffield United, who have made it to the FA Cup semifinals once (last season) and the quarterfinals twice in the previous four seasons, will be happy to take a vacation from the Premier League this weekend. The Blades have not triumphed away from home in any tournament since May of last year. They have progressed from 18 of their previous 19 FA Cup matches against teams from lesser leagues.
Team News
Due to a hamstring injury, Gillingham midfielder Jonathon Williams was unable to play. It is uncertain if the Welshman will be ready for Saturday’s match. Max Ehmer is expected to stay in the back three with Shadrach Ogie and Conor Masterson. In his next eight FA Cup appearances, Tom Nichols—who has scored twice in his previous four games and assisted on three goals—will be looking to push his way back into the starting lineup at the expense of Ashley Nadesan or Oli Hawkins.
Max Lowe of Sheffield United will be out for three to four weeks due to an injury that is not yet known. Sydie Peck has had knee surgery. These players will be in the treatment room with Chris Basham (ankle), John Egan (foot), Tom Davies (thigh), and Daniel Jebbison (sickness). Aside from Benie Traore, who has completed a loan transfer to Ligue 1 club Nantes. The Blades will also be without midfielder Anis Ben Slimane and defender Yasser Larouci. They have been called up by Tunisia and Algeria, respectively, for the Africa Cup of Nations.
But following their suspensions last weekend, Anel Ahmedhodzic, Gustavo Hamer, and James McAtee, a Man City loanee who was unable to play against his parent team, are all free to play again. This weekend, Wilder probably will think about switching up his lineup. Players like Adam Davies, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Ben Osborn, and Rhian Brewster all vying for the starting spot.
Gillingham 0-1 Sheffield United
For more football previews, click here
