This archive report was first published on 15 June 2020.
Chris Wilder, the manager of Sheffield United, has led the team from the third tier to the Premier League since 2016.
On Wednesday, Sheffield United will face Aston Villa in the first game of the Premier League's restart, following a three-month suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Manchester City will host Arsenal later that day, with 92 games packed into just five-and-a-half weeks.
“First game back is going to be a little bit different, what we understand is the magnitude of the game, the coverage of the game,” Wilder said in a pre-match video press conference on Monday.
Sheffield United, who are seventh in the table, are chasing Champions League football and could move up to fifth place with three points at Villa Park.
However, Wilder will not allow himself to get distracted by talk of Europe, saying, “If it gets to the situation where we are one or two games out and we are still in a fantastic position then we will possibly talk about that,”
Dean Smith, the manager of Aston Villa, said it was an honour to be playing the first game in the English top-flight since March.
“The eyes of the world will be on us and we are looking forward to it,” he said.
Wilder also confirmed that Sheffield United would extend the loan deal of highly rated goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the next few days.
