Burnley v Leeds United: Key battle, Clarets key man and YEP prediction

Date: Saturday

Time: 12.30pm

Venue: Turf Moor

TV: BT Sport

Odds (best available): Burnley win – 2-1, Draw – 13-5, Leeds win – 29-20.

Last time the teams met at Turf Moor:

Tuesday, September 17, 2017 - EFL Cup: Burnley 2 Leeds United 2 (Leeds won 5-3 on penalties). Goals: Burnley - Wood pen 89, Brady 90; Leeds - Sacko 80, Hernandez pen 90).

Key battle: Jack Harrison v Matt Lowton

Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa has various selection dilemmas and from an attacking sense that mainly concerns whether he should start the recently returning 'R and R' of Raphinha and Rodrigo. But Jack Harrison seems certain to line up on the left wing, fresh from causing Tottenham all sorts of bother down that side in last weekend's 3-1 victory at Elland Road. Former Whites youngster Matt Lowton is Burnley's right back and dealing with a clearly thriving Harrison will likely be key, as will the battle between Whites no 9 Patrick Bamford against big centre backs Ben Mee and James Tarkowski.

Clarets key man: Chris Wood

Who else? Leeds sold New Zealand international striker Wood to Burnley in a deal worth around £15m back in August 2017 and the 29-year-old has now amassed 46 Premier League goals for the Clarets. Twelve of those strikes have come this season and the forward has netted eight in his last games including five in his last three. Leeds will need to make sure the six-foot-three targetman is kept at bay as part of a Clarets front two, possibly alongside Matej Vydra, but watch out also for left winger Dwight McNeil who tops the Burnley assists charts with five.

Lee Sobot's verdict:

A tough one to call. Leeds ought to be bankers if repeating anything like their display against Spurs but Burnley present a very different proposition and a very direct and physical threat to the Whites. In many ways, the contest presents a similar challenge to what Leeds faced at Brighton and we all know how that ended. That said, there's less riding on this for 15th-placed Burnley who are now safe from relegation and Bielsa has everybody fit aside from Helder Costa and Adam Forshaw. In short, if Leeds get into their stride then Bielsa's Whites should be too good for Sean Dyche's Clarets and maybe a 2-0 away win is about right as a boost to tenth-placed United's aims to finish in the top half with Bamford fancied to add to his tally of 15 goals.

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/england-ace-could-be-among-five-burnley-players-injured-for-leeds-united-clash-3235982

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/not-surprising-robin-koch-sounds-ominous-leeds-united-warning-and-makes-burnley-vow-3235411

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/yorkshire-evening-post-launch-leeds-united-only-digital-subscription-ahead-premier-league-campaign-2967964

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Thank you Laura Collins