Leeds United vs Burnley: Premier League preview, team news, stats, predictions, kick-off time
Leeds will be boosted by the return of at least three players; Burnley could have Maxwel Cornet back in action; follow Leeds vs Burnley in our dedicated live match blog; watch free match highlights on Sky Sports digital platforms and YouTube channel after full-time
Saturday 1 January 2022 16:12, UK
Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Leeds vs Burnley in the Premier League on January 2; kick-off 2pm
Team news
Leeds will be boosted by the return of at least three players for Sunday's visit of fellow Premier League strugglers Burnley.
Boss Marcelo Bielsa confirmed during Friday's pre-match press conference that Junior Firpo would be back after suspension and joined in the squad by Diego Llorente and Daniel James following their recent struggles with illness and injury respectively.
Jack Harrison will also be fit after he was forced off in their last match with Arsenal two weeks ago while Patrick Bamford (hamstring) will be assessed but Liam Cooper (hamstring), Charlie Cresswell (shoulder), Pascal Struijk (foot), Kalvin Phillips (hamstring), Jamie Shackleton (Achilles) and Rodrigo (heel) are set to remain absent.
Burnley could have Maxwel Cornet, who sustained a thigh injury earlier this month and then tested positive for coronavirus, back in action at Elland Road.
Nick Pope, Jay Rodriguez, Josh Brownhill and Kevin Long all missed the 3-1 loss at Manchester United on Thursday following positive Covid-19 tests - Long has returned to training and the Clarets are waiting to see if Pope and Rodriguez can, while Brownhill is still unable to.
Ashley Barnes and Connor Roberts are not yet ready for the matchday squad as they continue recoveries from injury and a non-coronavirus-related infection respectively.
How to follow
Follow Leeds vs Burnley in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after full-time.
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Jones Knows predicts...
Bring your hard hats. If you like your football rough, ready and full of fouls then this is right up your street. The importance of this match won't be lost on both sets of players and the atmosphere inside Elland Road is likely to light the touch paper. Unlike other teams who could drop into a relegation scrap, the Leeds fans look ready to much in with their team. They are behind the manager and seem very united after a wave of injuries has decimated their squad, none more so than to Kalvin Phillips, who looks set to be out until March. A seismic blow to their hopes of climbing the table.
Burnley will be arriving with three points on their mind, too. A win for them would draw Leeds right into the mix. The match prices look about right to me with Leeds rightly favoured at Evens and Burnley at 13/5. If you're pushing me, I'll play the draw and go hunting in the cards market.
The reverse fixture at Turf Moor between these two produced seven cards and with the explosive atmosphere predicted, referee Kevin Friend may have his hands full. Leeds sit top of the most yellow cards awarded table this season (50) but also have drawn the most yellow cards from the opposition in 2021 (88). Unsurprisingly, their fixtures this season have averaged more cards than any other team. The game to produce 50+ booking points at odds-against should do the business.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1
BETTING ANGLE: 50+ booking points (11/10 with Sky Bet)
Last time out...
Opta stats
● Of the 42 teams Leeds have faced at least 40 times in league matches, only against Coventry (54%) do they have a higher win rate than they do against Burnley (51% - 31 wins from 61 games).
● Burnley have lost six of their last eight away league games against Leeds (W1 D1), with their only victory at Elland Road in this run coming in September 2013 (2-1).
● Burnley have lost each of their last three away league games against sides from Yorkshire. They've not lost more consecutively in the county since a run of five between January 1996 and September 1997.
● Leeds have won their first league game in just one of the last eight calendar years (D4 L3), beating Rotherham 3-0 in 2017. The Whites lost 3-0 at Spurs in their first game of 2021 but haven't lost consecutive such games since 2008/2009.
● Burnley have lost their opening league game in four of the last five calendar years, though the exception in that run was a victory in Yorkshire (2-1 vs Huddersfield in 2019).
