Leeds United face Burnley on Friday night with the chance to clinch their Premier League survival. Getting a result will be very important as the Whites play before their relegation rivals.
Daniel Farke’s side hit 40 points with their draw against Bournemouth last week, with many tipping them to survive relegation. But Spurs and West Ham getting wins over the weekend has cut the gap from the bottom. Leeds are just six points above Spurs who are in 18th place, with four games to go. A win on Friday night could see them open a nine-point gap with three games to go – meaning a slip up by the other teams could secure mathematical safety.
Leeds star could be available for Burnley clash
Burnley will not be an easy team to beat, they have already stolen a win against the Whites earlier this season. Leeds fans however, will be expecting a result with the Clarets having been relegated. Interim boss Michael Jackson will be in charge on Friday night, which is now set to be a huge game with great stakes.
This week, Farke said that the club might be without Noah Okafor, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Jaka Bijol against Burnley. Okafor picked up a knock in the FA Cup, and Bijol had problems with his hip.
But there has been a huge development in the past 24 hours; in the latest Inside Training video on Leeds’ socials, Jaka Bijol can be seen training with the first team. This could mean he is in contention to play on Friday night, having played in a recent training session. The Slovenian also posted a matchday graphic on his Instagram on Friday morning, with many fans suspecting that he could feature in the game.
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Great news for Daniel Farke
After the FA Cup exit, losing two key defenders was a huge blow. Leeds do not really have any depth in those positions, and that was worsened with Joe Rodon’s recent return to action. Jaka Bijol returning would be a huge boost to the club; especially with Gabriel Gudmundsson’s absence. This would mean James Justin would move to left wing back, and Bijol would remain in the back three with Rodon returning. Losing players at this point of the season does not help the Whites, so gaining valuable players will help in their battle for survival. Hopefully Bijol can play and part and Leeds get a result on Friday night.
