Why is Sheffield United vs Manchester United kicking off at 8pm on Saturday night? ❯ escored

Sheffield United and Manchester United will meet at Bramall Lane on Saturday at 8pm, with both sides looking for a positive result in the return to Premier League football.

Having picked up just one point in their opening eight games of the campaign, Sheffield United are growing desperate for their first win of the season and to put more points on the board. Manchester United, meanwhile, have been unconvincing in 2023/24, and will want a good performance to ease the pressure on both the squad and Erik ten Hag.

But why is Sheffield United vs Manchester United kicking off at 8pm on Saturday? FourFourTwo delves into the unusual timeslot being used for this Premier League fixture below.

Manchester United players line up for a group photo during the UEFA Champions League match between Manchester United and Galatasaray at Old Trafford on October 03, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images — Sheffield United vs Manchester United will kick off at an unusual time (Image credit: Getty Images)

Why is Sheffield United vs Manchester United kicking off at 8pm on Saturday night?

Sky Sports selected Sheffield United vs Manchester United as one of the games it wanted to broadcast this weekend, and was originally due to kick off on Sunday at 2pm.

That was before Manchester United knew of their Champions League schedule, though. With the Red Devils due to host Copenhagen at Old Trafford on Tuesday, their game against Sheffield United had to be brought forward to Saturday due to rules in place.

Indeed, Premier League sides competing in Europe are required to have at least two full days in between games. Usually this affects teams in the Europa League and Europa Conference League, who play on the continent on Thursday and return to domestic football on Sunday.

However, teams such as Manchester United cannot play in the Premier League on Sunday and then in Europe on Tuesday. As a result, the match against Sheffield United has been rescheduled to Saturday at 8pm, because Sky Sports still has the right to broadcast the game and doesn't want it overlapping with their coverage of Chelsea vs Arsenal at 5.30pm.

Sunday, therefore, will only feature one game – Aston Villa vs West Ham United. This is because teams are coming off of international break, so haven't had midweek commitments to factor into their schedule.

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Sheffield United are still awaiting their first Premier League win of the season (Image credit: Getty Images)

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