Jose Morais believes 'three or four' wins will keep Barnsley in the Championship and victory at home to high-flying local rivals Sheffield United tomorrow would be the 'perfect start'.

The third-bottom Reds face their promotion-chasing neighbours at Oakwell from 12.15pm knowing they are five points adrift of safety. It is the first of seven remaining matches which is one more than the sides directly above them as Barnsley's game at Nottingham Forest was called off on Monday.

After striker Kieffer Moore had said the Reds would need 'four wins and a couple of draws' to survive, Morais told the Chronicle: "I would like to win all seven games. But, being realistic, I believe the clubs around us, with the performances they are having, the probability that they will win six games is reducing. I believe that we need to win three or four games. I feel that a change in our results is very, very close to happening. It would be the perfect start to beat Sheffield United."

Barnsley have not won in 12 home matches, a club record, since a 2-0 success over Birmingham City on November 4 while their last 29 Oakwell league games since January 2017 have brought just three victories. This will be a fourth successive home fixture, following the draws against Norwich City and Bristol City either side of the 2-0 home loss to Millwall. That follows a run of four away matches in a row.

Barnsley are yet to win a Yorkshire derby this season, having drawn twice with Sheffield Wednesday and lost at home to Leeds United and Hull City, with an away draw against the latter. They lost 1-0 at Bramall Lane in August, with captain Angus MacDonald being sent off. That was part of an excellent start to the season for Chris Wilder's newly-promoted Blades, who were second in mid-November.

But, just as Barnsley's form has collapsed since then, United have picked up only 26 points from 23 games and are now ninth – one point off the play-off places.They almost returned to the top six on Monday but conceded an injury-time goal in a 1-1 draw with second-placed Cardiff City, managed by their former boss Neil Warnock. They are unbeaten in five matches but four of those have been draws while they have won just one of their last seven away fixtures.

Morais said: "They are a good, attractive team with quality players. They play in a high-energy way. But we are also a good side so I expect a very good game."I am curious to see the atmosphere, not only because it's a derby and the proximity of the clubs, but also I want to see the excitement, energy and enthusiasm of our fans and our team."

Barnsley have won just two of their last 15 derbies against United since 2001, losing six and drawing seven. Their last victory against the Blades was in Sheffield in League One in November 2014 when Sam Winnall headed in the only goal while the last Oakwell success was also by a 1-0 scoreline in 2010 when Hugo Colace netted.

That is Sheffield United's only defeat in their last eight games in Barnsley since 1999 with the most recent visit seeing Conor Hourihane net a last-minute equaliser before the Reds fell to the bottom of League One later that day in December 2015. 

After tomorrow's derby and Tuesday's trip to Ipswich, Barnsley host fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers on April 14 then visit former head coach Paul Heckingbottom's Leeds United on April 21. The match at Forest has been rearranged for Tuesday, April 24 before the season is finished off with a home game against Brentford on April 28 then a trip to Derby County on May 6.