Credit: Tung Manh Phan/Breaking Media

Cameron Smith

Thu 30 April 2026 7:10, UK

Leeds United could all but secure their Premier League status on Friday night when Burnley arrive at Elland Road.

As things stand, the gap to the relegation zone is six points. That cushion could stretch to nine by the end of the weekend, with fellow strugglers Tottenham facing a difficult trip to Aston Villa.

There was heartbreak for the Whites on Sunday as they missed out on a place in the FA Cup final, falling to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Chelsea at Wembley.

Even so, it has still been a fine campaign for Daniel Farke’s side, who remain firmly in control of their own fate with four games left to play.

They now face a Burnley team returning to action for the first time since relegation was confirmed by a 1-0 loss to Manchester City last time out.

Form guide

Since returning from the international break, Leeds have been in fine form heading into the trip to Wembley, with seven points from a possible nine lifting them into a strong position in the survival race.

They will now aim to respond after a no-show under the arch.

After the sides battled for promotion together last season, it has been a dismal campaign for Scott Parker’s Burnley, who arrive for this contest with just four league wins to their name all season.

Leeds United (last six games all comps): LDWWWD

Burnley (last six games all comps): LLLLDL

Head-to-head

Friday’s clash is a relatively fresh fixture in Premier League terms, with the two sides not having met in the competition until Leeds’ promotion in 2020.

Since then, the Whites have enjoyed the upper hand over the Clarets.

There is, though, cause for concern for Leeds: Burnley’s sole win mentioned above came earlier this season, when Farke’s side slipped to a 2-0 defeat at Turf Moor.

After battling fiercely last term, Parker’s men took four points from their rivals, while the most recent victory for the West Yorkshire club came before Burnley’s relegation to the Championship in 2022.

Team news and predicted lineups

On the team news front, Farke has been dealt another frustrating setback, with Anton Stach’s return overshadowed by a fresh concern over Gabriel Gudmundsson.

Still feeling the effects of the defeat to Chelsea, the Leeds manager revealed that the Swede is struggling with a hamstring problem, leaving him in doubt for Friday’s fixture.

Should Gudmundsson miss out, James Justin is expected to switch to the left-hand side, while Stach could slot into a midfield trio alongside Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka.

The third and final alteration is likely to see Karl Darlow restored in goal after Lucas Perri deputised in the cup on Sunday.

Burnley, meanwhile, have their own concerns, with Scott Parker still dealing with injury issues and both Axel Tuanzebe and Zeki Amdouni facing late fitness tests ahead of the contest.

As the season enters its closing weeks, Connor Roberts, Jordan Beyer and Hannibal Mejbri are all expected to return soon, although their comebacks do come too late following their recent relegation confirmation.

Predicted Leeds XI: Darlow; Rodon, Bijol, Struijk; Bogle, Ampadu, Stach, Tanaka, Justin; Calvert-Lewin, Okafor

Predicted Burnley XI: Dubravka; Humprehys, Ekdal, Esteve; Walker, Ward-Prowse, Laurent, Hartman; Tchaouna, Flemming, Anthony

Burnley player to watch: Zian Flemming

It has been a dismal season for the Clarets, with precious little to savour as they slump back into the Championship.

Yet amid the gloom, striker Zian Flemming has offered a rare bright spark in the final third, the Dutchman often forced to feed off scraps for much of the campaign.

With nine Premier League goals to his name, the 27-year-old stands as the club’s leading scorer in a desperately poor season, and the hope at Turf Moor is that they can keep hold of him.

We say: Leeds 3-0 Burnley

With the season entering its final weeks, the opportunity is there for Farke’s side to take a significant stride towards safety.

Just as they did when basement club Wolves arrived at Elland Road earlier this month, Leeds must show no mercy against an already relegated Burnley side.

With no disrespect to the visitors, Friday night’s contest presents a major opportunity for the Whites – and one they simply have to seize if they are to return to winning ways.