Strong call made on Leeds United vs Brighton clash amid Whites injury troubles but advantage
Leeds United welcome highflying Brighton on Sunday in their final home game of the Premier League season.
A strong call has been made on Leeds United’s final home game of the season by the bookies amid a stack of injuries for Daniel Farke’s side but home advantage.
United’s Premier League survival was sealed with three games left through Arsenal’s 1-0 win at West Ham last Sunday teatime which meant Leeds were already safe from relegation going into Monday night’s clash at fourth-bottom Tottenham Hotspur.
Leeds were already without Gabi Gudmundsson, Noah Okafor and Ilia Gruev ahead of Monday night’s trip to Spurs for which Pascal Struijk was a doubt following a knock to his hip.
Struijk made the starting line up but Jayden Bogle and Facundo Buonanotte then emerged as two new absentees, both with hamstring injuries.
Struijk was then forced off in the game itself, the defender clearly struggling with his hip and news of a new Leeds then emerged at Friday’s pre-match press conference as Farke revealed that captain Ethan Ampadu had been struggling with illness.
With Buonanotte ineligible to face his parent side it means that seven Leeds players are either out or doubtful for Sunday afternoon’s visit of a Brighton side chasing European football.
The Seagulls sit seventh in the table having won seven of their last ten games and the bookies have made a very strong call in making Fabian Hurzeler’s side very firm favourites for their clash at Elland Road.
Leeds have only lost five games at Elland Road all season yet Brighton are as short as 21-20 with some firms to leave with all three points and no bigger than 23-20.
Despite having home advantage, Farke’s side can be backed at 12-5 whilst the draw is on offer at 14-5.
Brighton also have the first two players in the any time scorer market which is headed by Danny Welbeck at 6-4, just ahead of Charalampos Kostoulas at 15-8.
Whites pair Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha are next with both 2-1 shots, followed by Joel Piroe at 5-2 and then ex-Leeds star Georginio Rutter at 14-5.
A stack of Brighton men are then next, starting with Diego Gomez at 7-2 and Jack Hinshelwood at 15-4.