Capital One Cup 2015: Stars Who'll Decide Sheffield United vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Sheffield United will attempt to overturn a 1-0 deficit on Wednesday in the hope that they can topple Tottenham Hotspur and seal their place in this season's Capital One Cup final.

Spurs took a vital advantage in the semi-final first leg, but their place at Wembley is far from secure considering the Blades boast one of the finest home defensive records in League One.

Nigel Clough's men are on a three-match winless streak, but the third-tier outfit will retain high hopes of continuing their underdog run in the League Cup with a midweek upset at Bramall Lane.

Read on for a look at which players in particular will lend a hand in deciding the Capital One Cup clash as Maurcio Pochettino's side look to finish the job they started at White Hart Lane.

Chris Basham, Sheffield United

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By and large, Sheffield United did a fine job of keeping Spurs' strikers at bay in north London last week, and the fact that Spurs were unable to score from open play speaks highly of the Blades' defensive standing.

Chris Basham was a key component in the back line which frustrated the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor and Harry Kane to no extent, albeit with United sacrificing a chunk of their own threat on goal in the process.

Following the 1-0 loss, Basham spoke with the official Blades website regarding his experience against a top-flight outfit:

The 26-year-old has also spent time at full-back and in defensive midfield this season, but considering his effectiveness in the centre-back role, Basham is unlikely to be shifted by Clough at this juncture.

For the Bramall Lane hosts to come out of their shell and get goals on the board, leaving the defence more vulnerable will be a necessary evil on Wednesday, applying a significant pressure on Basham to excel once more.

Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur

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As aforementioned, Spurs' star striker Kane was one of those shut out by his League One opponents at White Hart Lane, man-marked out of his usual impact in front of goal.

In spite of that disappointment, the 21-year-old is bound to be on a high this week after the Telegraph confirmed his five-year extension at White Hart Lane:

If Sheffield United are to grab a goal or more of their own, it's likely that fielding players behind the ball in as great a number won't be an option, allowing Kane more freedom on the ball.

In the first leg, the English attacker sat behind Adebayor in a more creative capacity, but Pochettino's tactics may see Kane roam as the lead man once again in the return trip.

In any case, Spurs fans will be expecting their burgeoning attacker to be the main spearhead in attack, and if the one-goal lead is to be increased, he'll need to shirk his defenders with a little more guile this time around.

Marc McNulty, Sheffield United

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Sheffield United's top scorer bears a heavy burden in ensuring the few chances the Blades do have on goal create a real panic among the Spurs defence.

As MarathonBet confirmed prior to the first meeting between these two sides, Marc McNulty was among the frontrunners to make the initial dent, but he was largely unnoticeable before being hauled off in the closing stages of the game:

With six goals in league competition this season, the 22-year-old has been among the few bright sparks Clough possesses going forward this season, but the challenge of a top-flight defence may be too big a task.

Nevertheless, McNulty could be started in the advanced role once again this Wednesday, relying on his midfield to combat fiercely and develop a weight of momentum if he's to prosper in kind.