Sheffield United team news: Estupinan, Dunk and Milner out

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Read the full preview ahead of Sunday's game.

Charlie Hanson

2023-11-10T17:11:00Z

Lewis Dunk was substituted at half-time against Ajax on Thursday.

Roberto De Zerbi will be without Lewis Dunk, Pervis Estupinan and James Milner on Sunday, as we take on Sheffield United at The Amex, kick-off 2pm.

Team news

The head coach didn’t have good news when it came to the trio, who all went off injured during the 2-0 win at Ajax on Thursday.

“It’s a terrible situation, but it’s like this and we can’t change anything at the moment, we can only be focussed on Sunday because it’s one of the most important games of the season," he said.

“I think it’s like a final for us because it will be a very tough game, even tougher than Ajax. Sheffield United are a good team, they won their first game last week. To win the game we have to play very well, a great game, with high quality, with the right attitude and we need our fans.

“I never ask anything of our fans, but on Sunday we need their support, the players need their support. If we win on Sunday we can reach another level in terms of mentality. We have to prepare at our best, like it’s a final.”

How to follow the game

Our Live Match Centre will bring you all the news in the build-up, during the game and post-match.

You can also listen to live commentary on MyAlbion TV and there will be coverage across all our social media channels.

Player to watch

Cameron Archer joined the Blades from Aston Villa in the summer and the 21-year-old England under-21 international has two goals so far this campaign, including an absolute thunderbolt against Wolves in United’s 2-1 win last weekend – their first Premier League victory of the campaign.

Stats and facts

Brighton are winless in their last six home league games against Sheffield United (D3 L3), since a 2-0 win in the second tier in May 1987.

Sheffield United have never lost a Premier League game against Brighton (W2 D2), scoring exactly one goal in each of their four meetings.

Brighton and Hove Albion have both scored and conceded in their opening 11 Premier League games this season. The last side to do that in their opening 12 top-flight matches of a season were Liverpool in 1966-67.

Sheffield United ended a run of 10 winless Premier League games (D1 L9) with their late victory over Wolves on MD11. The Blades haven’t won consecutive games in the top-flight since July 2020 – indeed, that was the last time they avoided defeat in back-to-back games, with this their 53rd game since then.

Brighton are winless in their last five Premier League games (D3 L2), their longest winless run since winning none of their first five under Roberto De Zerbi last October. The Seagulls last had a longer run between February and April 2022 (seven in a row).

Sheffield United have lost 23 of their last 26 away Premier League games (W2 D1), losing all five games this season. The last side to lose their first six away games in a Premier League season was the Blades in 2020-21 under Chris Wilder.

Albion completed 778 passes in their 1-1 draw with Everton, the most by a team in an away Premier League game since May 2021 (871, Man City at Newcastle). Since Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge last October, Brighton are second for successful passes (22,292), average possession (62.2%) and accuracy of passing (87.4%) in the top-flight, behind Manchester City in all three categories.

A teenage player has appeared in 37 of Albion's 43 Premier League matches under Roberto De Zerbi (86%). Among managers to take charge of at least 25 games, only Eddie Gray (100%, 25/25) and Sven-Göran Eriksson (95%, 36/38) had at least one teenager in a higher percentage of matches. Indeed, a teenage James Milner played in all 25 of Gray’s games for Leeds United in 2003-04, with Milner starting Brighton’s last game aged 37.

Since his first Premier League start last October, Kaoru Mitoma has progressed the ball further upfield with his ball carries than any other non-defender (4,856 metres) and is second overall to teammate Lewis Dunk (4,974m).

Oliver Norwood’s winning penalty for Sheffield United against Wolves was timed at 99 minutes and 17 seconds, the third-latest winning Premier League goal on record (since 2006-07). Norwood had four shots in the match, his most ever in a Premier League game in what was his 80th appearance.

Match officials