Pre-Sheff Utd Press Conference

Sheffield United’s upturn in form has come as no surprise to Marco Silva.

The Blades won Slaviša Jokanović’s final game in charge, and have also been victorious in each of their outings under new boss Paul Heckingbottom.

“It’s a very difficult game, no doubts,” Silva said ahead of Monday’s showdown. “Not just because they have shown good form in the last few games and they’ve achieved good results, which will definitely have boosted their confidence.

“But one of your [media] colleagues asked me some weeks ago about the contenders to be promoted, contenders to be in the Play-Offs.

“And of course there are other teams at the top of the league, six-seven teams at the top of the league, and I said that in my opinion there will be one or two more around, and one of those teams that has picked up is Sheffield United.

“I know the quality they have, the individual quality they have, players that know this competition very well, and the Premier League as well. I’ve played against some of them in the Premier League and I know their quality, I don’t have doubts about it.

“And of course, if they are achieving good results, their confidence is in a different level now, and if they are more confident then they are more difficult to beat. It will be a tough game for us, but I am 100 per cent sure that it will be really tough for them as well.

“We have to make things really difficult for them, they will come here to match us, but playing at Craven Cottage with our fans behind us, we want to keep this unbeaten run, but we want to take three points.”