Sheffield United's players have been warned not to become the latest team to succumb to underdogs this season.

Everything is stacked against Sheffield Wednesday in the 134th Steel City derby.

Already without Pierce Charles, they lost his stand-in, Murphy Cooper, to injury this week, and have had to loan Seny Dieng from Middlesbrough on a seven-day "emergncy" basis.

It is just the latest tale of woe for a club docked 18 points for financial reasons this season, and with their tally still in the red after 32 games. They need seven more just to break even, and will be the first English league club relegated in February if they lose at the home of their city rivals.

CUP HERO: Macclesfield's Paul Dawson is hoisted above the crowd after the Conference North team knocked holders Crystal Palace out of the FA Cup (Image: Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images)

placeholder image — CUP HERO: Macclesfield's Paul Dawson is hoisted above the crowd after the Conference North team knocked holders Crystal Palace out of the FA Cup (Image: Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images)

Their derby record is none too clever either, at least in recent years.

They have not beaten the Blades since February 2012, or even scored against them since 2017.

All of which means they have nothing to lose and plenty of pride to gain against a side many expect to record a resounding win.

"What's a resounding win?" responded United manager Chris Wilder when it was put to him. "We've had games against Man City when I wasn't here and it took to the 91st or 92nd minute for Man City to beat Sheff United. Man City at the time, if they weren't world club champions, they were on the way to being it. An unbelievable team.

EURO TRASHED: Manchester City's Rodri is sent off in January's Champions League defeat at Bodo/Glimt (Image: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB / AFP via Getty Images)

"The game doesn't work like that.

"We put a slide up (in a presentation to his players) about Maccelsfield versus Crystal Palace (in this season's FA Cup). We put a slide up about Bodo/Glimt versus Man City (a Champions League win for the Norwegians).

"There's all sorts of examples recently, let alone going into the last 100 years plus of football and whatever.

"The game doesn't get decided on teamsheets, it doesn't get decided on current form.

WARNING: Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder (Image: Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)

"Would I rather be in our changing room than their changing room at this particular moment? Yeah, I would.

"I imagine everybody would – they would possibly, with the players that we've got and the form that we've shown over the last 15 games.

"But the game doesn't work like that and there's so many things that you can't control and there's so many things you can control and we're 100 per cent on the can-control view

"Everything has to be earned. You have to earn the right for everything and the players will have to do that on Sunday afternoon.

"We understand it's basically their season on the line.

"We're not daft and they can get something out of their season by getting a result at our place.

"We've got our fight and our fight has to be bigger than their fight and the result has to be decided in our changing room, not their changing room.

"If we go about it the right way, we're going to have a decent afternoon and if we don't, then we're not going to be that good team that we want to be, we're not going to win games of football consistently and we're not going to achieve anything."

There was tension between Wilder and previous Owls manager Danny Rohl, not helped by the way the Sheffielder celebrated winning the first derby between the pair, but he has nothing but respect for the job Henrik Pedersen has done since the German's resignation.

"It can't be easy putting yourself out in front of press conferences and interviews after games," said Wilder.

"It was an unbelievably difficult job Henrik had to do picking up from the previous manager when he did one and full respect to him, his approach and his attitude in trying to raise his team.

"I think (Millwall manager) Alex Neil said it last week, his team gives everything for every game.

"We have to respect that and I respect Henrik for that.

"The hadn he was dealt was a really poor one and he's cracking on with it to the best of his ability.

"But there's no sympathy in this game. He won't be feeling any sympathy towards me and my football club and I think he understands that's the name of the game.

"But I like him – good guy and I look forward to seeing him afterwards."

And the feeling is mutual.

"We spoke at a media day seven or eight weeks ago, but since then we have not spoken together," said Pedersen of Wilder.

"But I have a big respect for him.

"I know he will do everything to win, but we are sitting on the other side, we will also do everything to win this game, of course we will."

Sunday's Championship match kicks off at noon.