Why is Sheffield United vs Man United kicking off at 8pm tonight? Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils set to be without Casemiro for crunch clash at Bramall Lane

• Manchester United vs Sheffield United will take place at 8pm tonight
• The Red Devils come into the game off a dramatic win against Brentford  
• Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’ 

Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Sheffield United is scheduled to take place at a bizarre time of 8pm tonight.

Erik ten Hag’s side will be looking to win their second league game in a row for the first time this season. The Red Devils secured a dramatic win over Brentford in their last game before the international break.

United were dealt a major blow in the build-up to tonight’s game. Casemiro is ruled out of the match with an injury picked up on Brazil duty.

As for the Blades, Paul Heckingbottom’s men have endured a torrid start to the campaign and are yet to win a game this season. They come into tonight’s showdown with the Premier League giants off a 3-1 defeat to Fulham.

Mail Sport breaks down why Sheffield United’s clash with Manchester United is kicking off at 8pm tonight.

Manchester United’s clash with Sheffield United will take place at an unusual time of 8pm tonight

Erik ten Hag’s side will be looking to secure back-to-back league wins for this first time this season

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Why is Sheffield United vs Manchester United at 8pm?

Manchester United’s clash with Sheffield United was due to take place on Sunday, October 22.

The game was supposed to be played on Sunday after it was picked for a Sky Sports live broadcast. However, the game was brought forward a day due to their Champions League commitments. 

Ten Hag’s side are scheduled to host FC Copenhagen at Old Trafford on Tuesday, October 24 at 8pm.

Premier League teams are not allowed to play on Sunday and then the following Tuesday due to the new rules. While the clash will now take place on Saturday, Sky Sports still have the right to broadcast the game.

Managers have hit out at the schedule over the years – particularly when their side are in European action the following week. 

This proved to be a major factor for the change when rearranging the fixtures.

There have been a few matches in the Premier League that have taken place at 8pm on Saturday this season. 

Manchester City’s showdown with Newcastle took place a few days after their UEFA Super Cup triumph over Sevilla, while United’s clash with Burnley took place on Saturday evening following their defeat to Bayern Munich.

United’s game with Sheffield United was moved forward due to their involvement in the Champions League

The Blades are currently bottom of the table and are yet to win a Premier League game this season

What’s been said?

Andrew Georgiou, President of Sports at Discovery gave his thoughts on the decision to have more Saturday 8pm games.

Speaking to the Times, Georgiou said: ‘We are happy to have the 12.30 kick-off that we purchased as part of the package but the reality is the clubs and the league have agreed that if there is a club playing in the Champions League on a Wednesday night they cannot play in the 12.30pm Saturday kick-off.

‘At 12.30pm on the Saturday, it’s perfect for us, it’s our time slot. Unfortunately the Premier League and the clubs have agreed that if that happens it can’t start at 12.30pm so we have to find another slot. I don’t think we can be asked to change our picks. What we have to do is find out the best time-slot to accommodate the club’s needs and our needs in terms of which matches we pick.

‘I don’t think we should be expected to change our picks on the basis of who is playing on a Wednesday night.’

Tonight’s clash between Sheffield United and Manchester United will take place at Bramall Lane

How to watch

The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.

Fans will also be able to live stream via Sky Go.

Mail Sport will be providing live coverage of Sheffield United’s showdown with Manchester United so you can keep up to date with all the action here. 

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

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