Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom admits his team will have to be at their “very best” to beat Manchester City in their FA Cup semi-final clash at Wembley on Saturday.
The Blades are closing in on a return to the Premier League but are the lowest-ranked side in the last four of the cup with Manchester United taking on Brighton in the other side of the draw.
City loanee James McAtee netted the winner in a 1-0 triumph for Sheffield United over Bristol City on Tuesday, although, like Tommy Doyle, will be unable to play against their parent club at the weekend.
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Their absences make the task tougher for Sheffield United but boss Heckingbottom says the club’s Championship form matters little against City, although is relishing taking on “one of the best teams in the world".
He said, as per the Sheffield Star: “We’ve done all we can in the league and now we can forget about that and focus on another really big game.
“It’s a different (competition) in its own right and that is how we’ve approached it all the way through, used it as a break from the league and what we are trying to do in that and to attack it.
“Listen, if we achieve what we want to achieve in the league, then this is going to be the kind of test we are facing every single week so why not try and test ourselves now? We’re looking forward to it and it’s all we are thinking about for the moment.”
Heckingbottom added: “Listen, we are not daft, we know we have to focus on playing one of the best teams in the world. We’re not being silly about it.
“We know we have to have them [City] having an off day and for us to be at our very best, maybe beyond that, to do it. But we’re going to relish it, give it a real go and, before then, try to prepare the very best we can.”
Sheffield United have lost the last four meetings with City although their most recent victory over them came in the FA Cup, winning 2-1 in the third round in January 2008. That’s their sole victory in their last nine encounters against the Blues.
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