Leeds United slipped into the Premier League’s bottom three following their 2-1 defeat at Arsenal. Their loss at the Emirates, coupled with Everton’s win at Leicester City, means it was the Whites who now occupy 18th place ahead of the final three games of the season.
The Toffees are now in pole position to secure survival as they sit one point ahead of both Leeds and Burnley with a game in hand, which comes against already relegated Watford. Ahead of a potentially decisive next seven days of the season, here is a look at the respective injury lists of all three clubs.
Leeds United:
Luke Ayling - suspended
Patrick Bamford – foot
Liam Cooper – knee
Stuart Dallas – leg
Adam Forshaw – leg
Tyler Roberts – hamstring
Crysencio Summerville – ankle
Leeds’ list of absentees for the remainder of the season became five over the weekend following Luke Ayling’s red card at Arsenal. His two-footed lunge on Gabriel Martinelli incurs an automatic three-match ban, meaning he joins Stuart Dallas, Adam Forshaw, Crysencio Summerville and Tyler Roberts in being able to play no further part this season.
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Captain Liam Cooper, though, will be hopeful of making his return against Chelsea after two games out with a knee injury. Cooper was close to being available at Arsenal on Sunday but was not risked due to still feeling some effects of the injury.
Finally, optimism is high in the Leeds camp that Patrick Bamford will return before the end of the season. Bamford has been out for much of the campaign but Marsch remains hopeful he will be able to play some sort of part in the run in.
Burnley:
Ben Mee – calf
James Tarkowski – thigh
Matej Vydra – knee
Johan Berg Gudmundsson – calf
Ashley Westwood – ankle
Jay Rodriguez – calf
It was two in and two out at Burnley over the weekend as both Maxwel Cornet and Erik Pieters made their return from injury. However, the Clarets suffered two big blows – the first of which came when James Tarkowski limped off early in the second half.
Mike Jackson will now also be without Matej Vydra for the rest of the season after picking up a serious knee injury. He joins Ashley Westwood and Johan Berg Gudmundsson in not being able to play any part in the final three matches.
There is hope, though, that both Jay Rodriguez and Ben Mee will return for the run in. Mee has been helping Mike Jackson out on the coaching side of things while being injured.
Everton:
Nathan Patterson – foot
Donny van de Beek – groin
Ben Godfrey – thigh
Andros Townsend – knee
Yerry Mina – calf
Vitalii Mykolenko – thigh
The only Everton players set to miss the rest of the season are Andros Townsend and Nathan Patterson, who have both undergone surgery on respective knee and foot injuries. Ben Godfrey’s availability is also uncertain, though Frank Lampard does hold some hope he will play some part in the run in.
Given Godfrey’s absence, Lampard will be praying that injuries suffered to Yerry Mina and Vitalii Mykolenko at Leicester City are not serious. After the game, he seemed fairly optimistic with both of them that it was just cramp, rather than a muscular tear.
He will also be hoping that Donny van de Beek makes his return to the side against Watford on Wednesday.
