Championship leaders Leeds United will resume their promotion bid with a home game against Swansea City on Saturday.
The hosts are level on points with Sheffield United and just two points clear of Burnley, while the visitors head into the weekend in 16th place in the Championship table.
Match preview
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The international window may have come at the right time for Leeds after their promotion bid lost some momentum with just one win in four matches before the two-week break.
The league leaders played out a 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion, before their 17-game unbeaten league run was ended by a 2-1 defeat against Portsmouth.
While they returned to winning ways against Millwall, Daniel Farke‘s side had to settle for a point in their away game against Queens Park Rangers after a poor start put them on the back foot.
A Morgan Fox own goal halved the deficit after Leeds conceded two goals in the opening half an hour, before Jayden Bogle netted a 51st-minute equaliser, but Leeds ultimately failed in their quest to find a winner, ensuring just two points separate the top three ahead of the last eight matches.
Leeds will be glad to resume their promotion bid at Elland Road, given the fact they have won 14 and lost two of their 16 home league matches since losing to Burnley in September.
They have also won each of their previous four matches against Swansea, scoring at least three goals in the last three of those meetings, including a dramatic 4-3 victory in November’s reverse fixture.
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Swansea have confirmed that interim boss Alan Sheehan will remain in charge until the end of the season after he took over the reins following Luke Williams‘s departure in January.
Sheehan began his tenure with a three-game unbeaten run, overseeing home wins over Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough on either side of a goalless away draw against Preston North End.
Unfortunately for Sheehan, his side were unable to carry that form into the international break, losing back-to-back games against Watford and Burnley without troubling the scorers.
The Swans may be nervously looking over their shoulders, with six points separating them from the Championship relegation zone.
With that said, Swansea will feel they are a couple of wins away from alleviating those relegation fears as they look to preserve their seven-season stay in the second tier.
However, they may have their work cut out to claim their first victory over Leeds since August 2019, especially as they have won just one of their previous eight Championship away matches (D1, L7).
Team News
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Farke has confirmed that a “late decision” will be made on Wilfried Gnonto‘s availability after he sustained an ankle injury while on international duty with Italy Under-21s.
Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu should feature in the matchday squad, having returned to training earlier than expected.
Forward Patrick Bamford is available for selection after recovering from a hamstring injury which has kept him out of action for nearly three months.
As for the visitors, they are unable to call upon Kristian Pedersen and Myles Peart-Harris due to back and knee injuries respectively.
Defender Harry Darling is back in training after missing Swansea’s last two matches, although it remains to be seen whether he will be ready for Saturday’s contest.
Burnley loanee Hannes Delcroix was ineligible to face his parent club before the international break, but he should return to the Swansea backline for the trip to Elland Road.
Leeds United possible starting lineup:
Meslier; Bogle, Rodon, Struijl, Firpo; Tanaka, Rothwell; James, Aaronson, Solomon; Piroe
Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Vigouroux; Key, Cabango, Delcroix, Tymon; Franco, O’Brien; Ronald, Cullen, Eom; Vipotnik
We say: Leeds United 3-1 Swansea City
Leeds have won 14 of their previous 16 Championship home matches, and we think they will use fortress Elland Road to fire them to three more points in Saturday’s fixture, especially as they have won each of their last four head-to-head meetings with Swansea.
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