Nick Pope is still suffering from the shoulder problem while Leeds could welcome back Kalvin Phillips to their starting XI; follow Burnley vs Leeds on the Sky Sports website and app on Saturday
Saturday 15 May 2021 15:30, UK
Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Burnley vs Leeds in the Premier League on Saturday (kick-off 12.30pm).
England goalkeeper Nick Pope could sit out Saturday's Premier League clash against Leeds after Burnley ensured their survival.
Sean Dyche has indicated that Pope is still suffering from the shoulder problem which sidelined him for two matches last month, and with Premier League football now secured he could be rested to avoid the issue getting any worse.
Phil Bardsley is out with a hernia problem, while manager Dyche confirmed neither Robbie Brady nor Kevin Long would return this season.
Leeds captain Liam Cooper is hoping to return to the starting line-up after missing the last four games through suspension and a glute injury.
Boss Marcelo Bielsa, who has no new injury concerns, must decide whether to recall Cooper or stick with Pascal Struijk and Diego Llorente in central defence.
Fit-again trio Kalvin Phillips (knee), Raphinha (thigh) and Rodrigo (muscle strain) are also pushing for recalls to the starting XI.
Follow Burnley vs Leeds 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 the final whistle.
Should be a fun watch, this game.
Burnley are pressing much higher lately in attack and it's reaping the rewards with Chris Wood and Matej Vydra seeing much more service. In their last seven games, only Leicester and Chelsea have created a higher expected goals figure per game than Burnley and their return of 13 actual goals from that run of fixtures is very healthy too. Burnley to score exactly two goals in this one makes appeal at 5/2 with Sky Bet.
Some punters/tipsters love tackling the tackles markets offered up by Sky Bet. I find it a bit too volatile for my liking but Leeds are pretty trustworthy in that department. Robin Koch has stepped in at the base of their midfield in the last two games, replacing Kalvin Phillips, and it's a position that always is rife for a high tackle count with the amount of work Marcelo Bielsa demands from players in that particular position.
Phillips for example averages 2.65 tackles per game. In the two games Koch has played, he racked up five vs Brighton and three vs Tottenham. I'm not sure the bookmakers have adjusted their lines accordingly so I'm happy to play him to make four or more tackles at 9/2 with Sky Bet as he goes into battle with the Burnley midfield.
JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 2-2
BETTING ANGLE: Robin Koch to make four or more tackles (9/2 with Sky Bet)
Burnley, in 15th place, can mathematically still finish as high as 11th if they win their remaining three Premier League games.
It's still mathematically possible for Leeds to finish the season in fifth, although it would require an utterly improbable set of results for that outcome to occur.
But, given the league position of their remaining opponents, three victories from their final three games is far from improbable, in which case Leeds would end the campaign with 59 points - and in with a chance of qualifying for Europe.
In a special episode of the Pitch to Post Preview Podcast we look ahead to this Saturday's FA Cup Final at Wembley, where Chelsea and Leicester will battle for the trophy in front of over 20,000 fans.
Peter Smith is joined by Sky Sports News reporter Paul Gilmour and Sky Sports football writer Ron Walker to assess both sides on the back of their midweek results, the key areas which will decide the contest, and how the game will play out.
They also discuss what impact FA Cup glory would have on Brendan Rodgers' managerial career, the importance of Jonny Evans at the heart of the Leicester defence, and why former Foxes star N'Golo Kante could be the decisive player on the pitch this weekend for Chelsea.
