How Chris Wilder can dictate the outcome of the Championship play-offs with one simple decision this week

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Sheffield United know exactly what’s in store for them as we approach the end of the season, but Chris Wilder could really twist fate in his favour this week ahead of the clash with Blackburn Rovers.

After a very impressive campaign, the Blades ultimately were pipped to automatic promotion by the powerhouses Burnley and Leeds United last week.

Sheffield United will now finish third in the table and have the Championship play-offs to prepare for, where they will play the sixth-placed team.

We still don’t know who that will be. As things stand, Coventry City will take on Chris Wilder’s side, but Middlesbrough, Millwall, and United’s next opponents, Blackburn Rovers, are all waiting in the wings to sneak into a play-off spot on the final day.

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Sheffield United likely to field weakened team vs Blackburn Rovers

Sheffield United got back to winning ways on Friday night with a 2-0 victory away at struggling Stoke City. It may not have made much of a difference on the Blades’ league standing, but it was an important result in terms of momentum.

Indeed, Wilder has discussed his eagerness to end United’s play-off curse this year, with the Blades having never won promotion via the play-offs in eight attempts throughout their history.

But, with one more league game to go, and absolutely nothing to play for, there’s every chance Wilder makes a bold but fairly pragmatic call this week and decides to field a weakened side to take on Blackburn this weekend.

With the first leg of the play-off semi-final coming just five days after the end of the normal season, Wilder would have every right to be wary of risking his best players in a meaningless game, and we could see peripheral figures and youth players coming in for some extra minutes on Saturday.

If he does elect to make those changes, Wilder would not only be preserving his team’s star men, he would also be controlling the fate of the other play-off contenders, too.

• READ MORE: Chris Wilder eyes double record break for rest of the season after win vs Stoke City, his ‘players deserve’ it

What that means for the Championship play-offs

Let’s assume Wilder goes for the weaker lineup, and Blackburn, who will be going all out to win, get the three points at Bramall Lane. That would put Rovers on 68 points.

Elsewhere, sixth-placed Coventry take on ninth-placed Middlesbrough. The winner of that game will have a great chance of securing a play-off berth, though even a win would likely not be enough for Boro, especially if Blackburn do win.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
3	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	45	28	7	10	62	35	27	89
4	SunderlandSunderland	45	21	13	11	58	43	15	76
5	Bristol CityBristol City	44	17	16	11	57	49	8	67
6	CoventryCoventry	45	19	9	17	62	58	4	66
7	MillwallMillwall	45	18	12	15	46	46	0	66
8	BlackburnBlackburn	45	19	8	18	52	47	5	65
9	MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough	45	18	10	17	64	54	10	64

Millwall, meanwhile, face a Burnley side gunning for the title, and at Turf Moor, we can surely expect a Clarets’ victory, thus ending the Lions’ hopes of finishing in the top six.

Bristol City are the other team at play. They could well beat Leeds United tonight and reduce the number of available spots to one, which would make it very interesting, but assuming they lose at Elland Road, they too will need something on the final day — a home clash with Preston North End should be a comfortable enough win for the Robins, though.

Essentially, Wilder could really do a number on his old side, Middlesbrough, by setting his United team up for failure against Blackburn. It might not be enough to help Rovers into the play-offs, but it would certainly render Boro’s efforts redundant regardless of what they can muster up against Coventry.

It would be a cruel twist of fate for many Boro fans who do not remember Wilder’s time on Teesside too fondly. Surely he wouldn’t do that, would he?