Ben Brereton Díaz put Sheffield United ahead against Wrexham on Friday, scoring in the 30th minute of their Championship meeting at Bramall Lane.
The Blades led 1–0 in the latest verified match update at 21:35 GMT. Full-time had not been confirmed, so the result remained provisional.
Brereton Díaz’s first-half strike gave Chris Wilder’s side an advantage after a week in which their attacking options were reduced by Patrick Bamford’s injury.
Bamford missed the matchday squad after suffering a shoulder injury against Derby County. His absence accompanied three changes to Sheffield United’s starting lineup.
Romelle Donovan, Sydie Peck and Jordan Ayew came into the side, while Oliver Arblaster and Tom Cannon dropped to the bench for Friday’s fixture.
Mark McGuinness was also available among the substitutes after missing the previous match under concussion protocols, giving Wilder another defensive option from the bench.
Phil Parkinson made three changes for Wrexham, bringing Ben Sheaf, Oliver Rathbone and Lewis O’Brien into his starting side for the trip to Sheffield.
Benjamin Whiteman and Sam Smith were named among the substitutes. Kieffer Moore started up front, with Anthony Patterson selected in goal for the visitors.
The Sky Sports match centre credited Brereton Díaz with the opener. No final score was available in the update checked for this report.
Sheffield United began the evening 12th in the Championship with 16 points from 12 matches. Wrexham were two points behind them in 17th place.
That narrow gap added significance to the meeting: a Wrexham victory would take them above their hosts, while United could extend their points advantage.
The Blades entered the fixture following a 1–1 draw with Derby. They had beaten Bristol City 1–0 in their preceding league outing on October 17.
Wrexham were seeking a response to a 2–0 defeat against Blackburn, having previously beaten Preston 4–1 in another match that underlined their recent mixed form.
The visitors had won both league meetings between these clubs last season, including a 2–1 victory at Bramall Lane after December’s 5–3 home success.
Friday’s game opened a busy football weekend, alongside the fixtures covered in our roundup of the day’s leading matches. This report records the verified in-game position.
