Leeds United could be without a "fantastic" star for this evening’s Championship clash with Sunderland, according to Phil Hay.

Leeds’ remaining Championship fixtures

Remarkably, despite sitting on 86 points after 41 games, the Whites sit outside the automatic promotion places with five Championship games remaining.

Daniel Farke’s side have been in incredible form during 2024, losing the first of their 15 second-tier games during the calendar year on Saturday away to Coventry City.

Leeds United 3-0 Birmingham City

1st January

Cardiff City 0-3 Leeds United

13th January

Leeds United 2-1 Preston North End

21st January

Leeds United 1-0 Norwich City

24th January

Bristol City 0-1 Leeds United

2nd February

Leeds United 3-0 Rotherham United

10th February

Swansea City 0-4 Leeds United

13th February

Plymouth Argyle 0-2 Leeds United

17th February

Leeds United 3-1 Leicester City

23rd February

Huddersfield Town 1-1 Leeds United

2nd March

Leeds United 1-0 Stoke City

5th March

Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Leeds United

8th March

Leeds United 2-0 Millwall

17th March

Watford 2-2 Leeds United

29th March

Leeds United 3-1 Hull City

1st April

Coventry City 2-1 Leeds United

6th April

However, they still need Leicester City or Ipswich Town to slip up between now and May 4th, whereas Leeds may have to be almost perfect to earn an automatic return to the Premier League.

The run-in begins tonight with a meeting with Sunderland at Elland Road before another home game against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

After that, Leeds travel to Middlesbrough on Monday 22nd April, with their penultimate fixture away to Queens Park Rangers on Friday 26th April. The final game of the season sees Leeds host Southampton on Saturday May 4th.

Leeds team news vs Sunderland

Leeds received a welcome injury boost on the weekend against Coventry with the return of Ilia Gruev, Connor Roberts and Wilfried Gnonto to the matchday squad.

However, for tonight’s game with Sunderland, regular Ethan Ampadu, who has captained the Whites for the majority of 2024, is a “major doubt” due to illness.

This will come as a big concern for Leeds, with Ampadu yet to miss a minute of Championship action this season, starring in both midfield and in defence.

The summer signing has struck up a brilliant relationship with fellow Wales international Joe Rodon at centre-back since the injury to Pascal Struijk, so being without Ampadu would be a big blow.

Ampadu has also come in for praise from Farke during his first season in Yorkshire, with the Leeds boss saying earlier in the campaign:

“Overall a fantastic season, we are more than happy how he has developed also since we signed him.

“You couldn’t predict that it would work that smoothly and on this level when we signed him because he had also a few tough, tough years. But he’s doing exceptionally well.”