By David Woods

13th Mar, 2020 | 12:21pm

Reliable journalist makes big Coronavirus claim that is brilliant for Leeds and promotion

Sun journalist Martin Lipton has said that UEFA will postpone the Euro 2020 finals early next week – and that’s something that is brilliant for Leeds’ promotion hopes.

He said that the priority for UEFA and everyone in the game now is to ensure that domestic seasons can be finished, even if the remaining fixtures play through the summer.

All fixtures in the UK have been suspended until the first week in April at the earliest.

There are nine games left to play in the Championship, with Leeds one point ahead of West Brom at the top and seven points ahead of third-placed Fulham.

Talking on the Jim White Show (talkSPORT, Friday, 11.30am), Lipton said that UEFA had acknowledged that finishing domestic seasons should take priority over the Euros.

That would give the Championship the very best shot at finishing the season.

“One thing that will help is that UEFA will meet early next week and postpone Euro 2020, with the priority now on getting the domestic seasons finished,” Lipton said.

“They’re under a lot of pressure. The priority is to get the domestic seasons finished as that could have huge legal issues. Prioritisation has been made by UEFA and they feel that’s the best way around it.

“It’s not ideal of course but next summer is relatively free, putting them [Euros] back a year, finishing the domestic seasons and then starting next season if not bang on schedule then not far off, that’s viewed as the least disruptive situation.”

Jim White asked him if he thought another ball would be kicked this season.

“I don’t know,” Lipton said. “People are hopeful. But if we get to late June without having played a fixture they’d have to void the season and that’s the last thing people want. Now, every major league is war gaming how to deal with this.”

This is very good news for Leeds fans who will be desperate for any bit of information that could lead to the Championship getting finished.

Leeds have nine games left but could secure promotion way before the end of the season, with a seven-point lead over Fulham in third.

With all the will in the world, an April re-start is looking highly unlikely.

In the press conference headed by Boris Johnson yesterday, it was said that the peak infection time in the UK could be as far away as 14 weeks.

If that’s the case then it would be tough to see how the season could get finished but there is hope the situation could clear before then – at least to play matches behind closed doors.

Postponing the Euros will help a lot, though, and that should be announced early next week.

In other Leeds United news, ‘Heart-breaking for Leeds’ – Piers Morgan posts verdict on ‘only fair’ solution to Coronavirus