Preston North End return to the ground which was the scene of the curtailing of last season's Play-Off dream for what is sure to be a tight Battle of the Roses.
North End go into the game with the possible advantage of having not played on Boxing Day - the Blades, by contrast, were in action on Saturday night against Leicester City.
Sheffield United are the only team that North End haven't faced so far this season, and after an inconsistent start blighted by injuries they have improved significantly in the past two months.
Another obstacle for North End will be PNE's form in Sheffield. Brammall Lane hasn't been the happiest of stomping grounds for North End in recent years and we have to look back to 1978 to uncover our last league win in the red and white half of the Steel City.
Last season PNE were edged out twice by a single goal in the regular league fixture and the Play-Off Semi-final second leg. Sean St. Ledger scored in the first leg of the knock out tie and his return has given North End a massive boost going into the Bank Holiday clash.
Ross Wallace won't be available for PNE though as his suspension, which ruled him out of the now postponed Barnsley game, has been carried over to the Monday match.
North End fans will get the opportunity to watch two former North Enders, Lee Williamson and Richard Cresswell, and those travelling to the game will also have the chance to bid farewell to Michael Tonge, who will be playing the final game of his loan spell for North End at the club who he made over 200 appearances for.
Sheffield United versus Preston North End
Coca-Cola Championship
Brammall Lane
Monday 28th December, kick-off 3pm
The Gaffer
"This is a really hard game, it's not that long ago that people were saying how poorly Sheffield United were doing and they have gone on a run of five or six games where they haven't lost and look to where they have got to now.
"So, it can change and can change very quickly, we're actually not that far behind from where we were last year. We know what we did last year in order to get into the play offs and we are capable of doing it again, but it is not easy and it is a very tough division."
Alan Irvine tells PNE.com that North End will have to be at their best for Monday's game.
The Opposition
Kevin Blackwell always maintained that once the Blades' injury list had been whittled down his team's form would improve and that has been the case. Difficult to beat last season, the Blades have rediscovered their form in the past couple of months.
The Blades started the season as one of the pre-season promotion favourites after an impressive, but ultimately promotion-less, 2008/09 campaign and a summer of big name arrivals in south Yorkshire.
Ched Evans arrived from Manchester City for £3million, Glen Little was signed in from Portsmouth and ex-PNE players Lee Williamson and Richard Cresswell were also amongst the ten-plus arrivals at Bramall Lane.
One win from the first five games wasn't the best of starts and although they gained revenge for their double-derby defeats last season with a 3-2 win over Sheffield United, their form didn't really improve until November.
They dominated the televised defeat against Newcastle and haven't looked back since with four wins and three draws before Saturday's defeat against Leicester. This run had propelled the Steel City men within a place of the Play-Offs and a position in the top six is where they will hope to be come May.
The Opposition Gaffer
"I thought we were a little sloppy in the first half and I wanted the players to be more positive. So I gave them a kick up the back side at half time. The players were disappointed they didn't do the job I expect of them. However, we didn't cave in and kept going throughout. I thought we deserved at least a point and thought we showed character but I was disappointed with the goals we conceded."
Kevin Blackwell tells BBC Sport after the Leicester City defeat that he expects more from his players
Head-to-head
PNE's all-time record against Sheffield United - W30 D26 L43
PNE's all-time league record against Sheffield United - W28 D23 L39
Last Meeting
Sheffield United 1 Preston North End 0
Halford, 59
Coca-Cola Championship Play-Off Second Leg
Brammall Lane
11th May 2009
PNEBetting.com
Sheffield United 5/6 Draw 5/2 PNE 10/3
Selected Bet
Michael Tonge to score first in a 2-1 win - 210/1
Head to pnebetting.com to take your pick from all the markets on the big game now.
PNE Player
Former North End goalkeeper Peter Litchfield will join us for Monday's game. We will be live from 2.30pm on 106.5FM Central Radio in the PR postcode area and exclusively on PNE Player elsewhere in the UK and beyond. Head to www.pne.com/player to subscribe now.
