Ruben Selles has been sacked by Sheffield United with Chris Wilder open to a shock return to the club, talkSPORT understands.
The Blades have Ruben Selles less than three months after he replaced Wilder as manager.
Sources close to the Championship’s bottom club say Wilder has already been sounded out about a third stint as boss.
Wilder was controversially axed 88 days ago after losing last season’s play-off final, but Selles has lost all six of his games in charge.
Selles, who was sacked as Hull boss a month before his arrival in Bramall Lane in June, has lost another Championship job and becomes the first EFL boss axed this season.
A 5-0 defeat to Ipswich Town on Friday ensured Sheffield United remain pointless and bottom of the second division.
The South Yorkshire outfit have lost five straight games at the start of the season, and haven’t scored since the opening day last month.
Sheffield United also crashed out of the Carabao Cup first round, meaning Selles is yet to enjoy a competitive win in any competition.
It represents a remarkable freefall for the pre-season promotion favourites, who reached the Championship playoff final in May.
Wilder came close to steering the club back to the Premier League at the first time of asking before his side suffered a stoppage-time defeat to Sunderland in the final at Wembley.
Wilder spoke to talkSPORT the following morning, admitting he was still ‘suffering’ from the loss as he looked ahead to the summer.
However, his second spell in charge was officially ended less than a month later, despite his contract still having three years left on it.
Wilder approached over Sheffield United return
The club’s most successful manager of the modern era twice won promotion with the Blades in his first spell in charge.
Wilder oversaw a League One title triumph in 2017 before securing top-flight football two years later.
He was first sacked by Sheffield United in March 2021 with the club bottom of the Premier League.
The former Middlesbrough and Watford boss was unable to rescue the Blades from relegation after returning to replace Paul Heckingbottom, midway through the 2023/24 season.
The shocking start to this season has seen the COH Sports ownership group approach Wilder over the prospect of a third spell in charge of his boyhood club, to add to two as a player.
Selles axed by Sheffield United
The Spaniard has overseen the club’s worst start in the second tier for 30 years since they opened the 1995/96 season with five straight defeats.
Alongside the poor results, Selles’ tactical decisions have also come under scrutiny from the frustrated Bramall Lane faithful.
The 42-year-old dropped Gustavo Hamer, last year’s EFL Championship Player of the Season, for the 5-0 loss to Ipswich.
COH representatives were in attendance at Portman Road on Friday night to ramp up the pressure on the beleaguered Selles.