Leeds United’s rivals for survival Burnley have seen crucial forward Zeki Amdouni ruled out for a lengthy period with a pre-season injury.
Survival from relegation straight back to the Championship looks an unlikely achievement for Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland next season, but all three are making moves to close the gap to the other 17.
Sunderland’s big spending has caught the eye the most out of the three, but Leeds’ steady investment to make Leeds a more athletic side should see them be a competitive side, while Burnley are being forced into a rebuild off the back of automatic promotion.
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Burnley hit with crushing Zeki Amdouni blow after Turf Moor return
The Clarets ended last season only missing out on the Championship title due to goal difference, collecting 100 points alongside Leeds before seeing the trophy snatched from their grasp by Manor Solomon’s stoppage-time winner at Plymouth.
Leeds lifting the title means nothing for what transpires this summer and next season, but both sides know they will need more firepower to be capable of finishing 17th, on top of both boasting formidable defences in 24/25.
Burnley will have been looking forward to the return of Zeki Amdouni following a loan spell at Benfica, but he’s since been hit with a massive injury setback, with reports via the Burnley Express sharing that he’s due for surgery on a cruciate ligament tear in his knee.
(REUTERS/Pedro Nunes)
Such an injury would be expected to keep Amdouni out for the majority of the upcoming fight for survival alongside Leeds and Sunderland.
“As you may have seen I will be away for a while,” he wrote on Instagram. “Just wanted to say thank you all for your messages. “We [sic] in this together. I’ll come back stronger.”
Burnley’s attack could be real weak point as Leeds United look for survival ahead of them
Burnley’s promotion came largely on the basis of being record-breaking in their defensive quality, and it made up for their lack of creativity and output in the final third.
Someone like Amdouni would have been a really solid addition to the squad to bring goals to Scott Parker’s side, but that looks to be out of the window now.
When looking at who Leeds need to finish above to stay in the Premier League, Burnley are obviously one of them, and missing Amdouni for a large period only harms their chances of being competitive.