Leeds United set Sunderland and Sheffield United target as 'four or six week' Black Cats blow confirmed

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Your round-up of the latest Leeds United stories ahead of Friday’s Championship clash at Sunderland.

Leeds United’s six-day schedule comes to an end tomorrow evening with Daniel Farke’s side due at table-topping Sunderland. Four points from two games against Coventry and Norwich has put the Whites in good stead and a point or three at the Stadium of Light should keep them in the top six ahead of the October international break.

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Farke could be without six first-team players for the trip to Sunderland, with Ilia Gruev’s knee injury adding him to a list of absentees that also includes Ethan Ampadu, Max Wober, Manor Solomon, Dan James and Isaac Schmidt - albeit the latter could be fit in time. It’s set to be a huge challenge for Leeds on Friday evening and in the meantime, the YEP has rounded up some of the latest stories surrounding the club.

Points target

Leeds will need to beat both Sunderland and Sheffield United if they are to meet a three-game six-point target Don Goodman believes would leave everyone ‘reasonably pleased’. Farke’s side left Norwich City with a hard-earned point on Tuesday and now face two of the league’s early promotion contenders either side of the international break.

“They've got big games coming up against Sunderland, who have won all four home games this season, and Sheffield United who are unbeaten this season,” Goodman told Grosvenor Sport. “Before the Norwich game, I thought if Leeds could come away with six points from those games and maintain a two-points-per-game average, everybody would be reasonably pleased.

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“They have one point already. My belief that they're going to win the league hasn't wavered, it didn't when they lost to Burnley and in the early stages of the season. They currently have more points than they did at this stage of the season last year. Leeds are in a good place.”

Poveda blow confirmed

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris has confirmed Ian Poveda will be out for up to six weeks, with the winger missing out on a reunion with former club Leeds. Poveda came off the bench for a late cameo in his side’s 2-0 midweek win at Derby County but suffered a muscle injury.

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The Colombian’s availability was in immediate doubt with Le Bris admitting post-match that he looked set to be out for a couple of weeks. But after further tests, the issue looks to be worse than feared and Poveda looks set for another long and frustrating spell on the sidelines.

"For Ian, it is still too early for the full diagnosis but I think it is going to be a long injury, maybe four or six weeks,” Le Bris told The Sunderland Echo. “It's a shame because he is very involved in his progression, his way of training. But the Championship is long, we still have 38 games to play. Ian is going to be helpful for the team but he is going to need time to recover."

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