Paul Heckingbottom happy for Sheffield United to be the hunter and not the hunted at Nottingham Forest

The hosts start the second instalment as favourites following a 2-1 success in the opening leg at Bramall Lane and will take the field in front of an expectant sell-out crowd at the City Ground with Forest seeking to go one step further to ending their exile from the Premier League.

The East Midlanders have not been in the top-flight since 1999.

On the task facing his Blades team, Heckingbottom, whose previous experiences of the play-offs have all been winning ones - he was promoted as a player with Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday and as a manager with the former - said: "We have not got freedom as we know what is at stake. But what have we got to lose?

"We been in this position of chasing from day one. It is no difference to us, we are used to it and fine and comfortable with it. We just know we have got to deliver.

"We are 90 minutes away from Wembley. Ninety minutes away from the biggest (domestic) game of football as the prize is the Premier League. It is fantastic and a great opportunity and everyone should be delighted we are here, playing and competing.

"We are ready and prepared and have gone all we can and the boys are ready to go.

"It is half-time and like being behind after 45 minutes. We haven't lose a game as it is a tie over two legs. At 2-1 at the end of a league game, it is lost and gone and you don't get the points. There's still everything to play for."

"There will be key moments in the game. Hopefully they go our way because as the saying goes 'Goals change games.'

"Our goal (on Saturday) has changed the dynamic."

Billy Sharp, who spent a successful spell on loan at Forest back in the 2012-13 campaign – will be assessed ahead of tonight’s game to see whether he could potentially take his place on the bench.

The Blades top-scorer has been sidelined with a calf injury sustained in training late last month. Prior to that, he had been affected by a hamstring problem which he managed to recover from.

Heckingbottom said: “We’d like to think he might be (ready).

“If he’s ready and the medical people tell us that he’s ready, then, yes, of course we’ll do it.”