Leeds United return to action in the Premier League on Friday night, when they take on Burnley at Elland Road.
When both sides were promoted last season after amassing 100 points each, not many would have predicted there would be a 20-point gap between the two sides with just four Premier League games left to play.
A win for Daniel Farke’s men would surely be enough to retain their Premier League status for next season, whilst Burnley, who have recently parted ways with their manager, Scott Parker, have already been relegated.
Ahead of the game, Graham Smyth made a huge claim regarding one Leeds player in particular, who he believes “deserves” to start against Burnley.
Graham Smyth believes Sean Longstaff should start on Friday
Longstaff, 28, was brought in for £12million last summer to add some much-needed competition for places in midfield, as well as bringing a wealth of Premier League experience with him to add to the squad.
Before the turn of the year, the Englishman was a regular in the Whites’ engine room, but following an injury earlier in the season, Longstaff has been unable to re-establish himself in the starting XI.
However, speaking on the latest episode of the Inside Elland Road Podcast, Smyth believes that the game against Burnley is the perfect opportunity to hand Longstaff his first Premier League start since November.
“I’d like to see Longstaff in this game, I feel like he’s earned it with his goal and also the way he’s come on and kind of pressed and harried and chased.
“He looks to me like a player who’s doing his utmost to try and get back into the side whenever he’s played, so I would like to see him get a chance.”
Longstaff was the hero for Leeds in their last Premier League game against Bournemouth, with the midfielder coming on as a substitute before volleying home a dramatic late equaliser.
But that was not enough to earn him a start at Wembley against Chelsea, and it seems unlikely that he will be thrown back into the side to take on Burnley.
READ MORE: Joe Rodon returns, £17.4m ace benched – Leeds predicted XI vs Burnley – The Leeds Press
Data suggests Sean Longstaff has become a bit-part player for Leeds
Although the 49ers will know they need to assemble a squad deep enough that multiple players are fighting for the same position, Farke risks upsetting some of the players on the fringes of his squad if they are rarely involved.
It is hard to imagine that in the prime years of his career, Longstaff is happy, having played a total of just 985 Premier League minutes this season, and if his limited involvement extends to next season, then Longstaff’s spell in West Yorkshire could be a brief one unless he is happy to play a backup role.
- In 2026, Longstaff’s longest Premier League cameo was the 45 minutes he played against Arsenal
- Aside from that game, Longstaff has featured for under 20 minutes in the rest of his five substitute appearances this year (Sofascore)
If Longstaff is to be included in the starting XI for Leeds, it would likely require a change of system from a 5-2-3 to a 5-3-2, with Farke likely having to axe Brenden Aaronson from playing out wide in favour of a midfield three with Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin leading the line instead.
READ MORE: Ally McCoist tips sensational Elland Road exit for Leeds star – The Leeds Press
