Leeds United (Credit: Imago)
Leeds United are well and truly in the midst of a relegation battle, with just seven games remaining in the current Premier League campaign.
Daniel Farke’s side have been excellent to this point and have exceeded all expectations from the start of the season.
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However, with a four-point gap between themselves and the bottom three, Leeds fans will acknowledge that it would be a major blow if the Whites were unable to see the job through from this point on.
However, with a tricky test awaiting them at Old Trafford on Monday night, Leeds could find themselves a lot closer to the relegation zone than they would like if results go the way of their relegation rivals over the weekend, with a former Arsenal player having his say on the battle to stay in the top flight.
Ray Parlour predicts Leeds to stay in the Premier League
Whilst other notable names in football, like Teddy Sheringham, predict that Leeds will go down, Parlour does not share the same views as the former Manchester United man.
When assessing the relegation battle on talkSPORT, Parlour had this to say, “I think Leeds play everyone around them – Wolves, Burnley, West Ham and Tottenham – so they should have enough.
“So I think it’s between Spurs and West Ham, I really do. It would be disastrous for both teams (if they go down), but they just have to focus on themselves and getting three points.”
However, despite United’s fixtures looking favourable on paper between now and the end of the season, the injuries that Joe Rodon and Anton Stach suffered in the FA Cup quarter-final will surely complicate things, with the duo not expected back until May.
READ MORE:Advantage Leeds United as relegation rivals dealt major “season ending” injury – The Leeds Press
Data suggests missing Anton Stach will be a major blow for Leeds
Whilst Parlour is correct in saying Leeds have winnable games between now and the end of the season, the impact of Stach’s absence for the upcoming games cannot be underestimated.
In a Leeds side that can be devoid of quality in the final third at times, Stach provides a much-needed creative spark, to go alongside his excellent ball-winning abilities and set-pieces.
This season, Stach has created nine big chances in the Premier League for Leeds, and averages 2.2 key passes per game
Stach also averages 2.2 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per 90
The German also manages to recover 4.3 balls per game (Sofascore)
If Farke chooses to deploy Ao Tanaka in midfield at Old Trafford in Stach’s absence, Leeds will be losing some of that much-needed bite in midfield, with Tanaka only averaging 0.8 tackles and 0.6 interceptions per game in comparison.
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