Leeds United host Middlesbrough at Elland Road in a blockbuster Championship clash.
Victory will see Leeds climb to the summit for at least 24 hours, whilst Middlesbrough will stay fifth with a win and move to within four points of their hosts.
Team News
Junior Firpo is ruled out for Leeds with a hamstring injury suffered in their 2-0 win over Derby.
Sam Byram could return from a hamstring injury but Ilia Gruev (knee) and Joe Gelhardt (hip) remain absent.
Middlesbrough have no fresh injury concerns to report following their 1-1 draw at Burnley.
Rav van den Berg could return after a month on the sidelines with a knee injury.
Darragh Lenihan (fitness/Achilles), Aidan Morris (knee), Lukas Engel (muscle) and Tommy Smith (Achilles) are still sidelined.
When is Kick-Off?
Leeds host Boro at Elland Road on Tuesday 10 December at 8pm GMT, live on Sky Sports in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Leeds are unbeaten in their last six league meetings against Middlesbrough (W4, D2).
- Middlesbrough are winless in their last eight league trips to Leeds (D2, L6).
- Daniel Farke’s Whites have kept clean sheets in four of their last six league matches at home to Boro.
- Leeds have scored 10 goals in their last four home games without conceding (W4).
- Boro have scored first in four of their last six away matches (W3, D2, L1).
Prediction
Unbeaten in their last seven home games with just one goal conceded, Leeds certainly will be favourites especially after their clinical demolition of Derby but they will be eager to atone for losing this fixture in the Carabao Cup in August.
Middlesbrough meanwhile will be happy with a point at Burnley given the difficult weather conditions, but the result give them confidence that they can get something here in more settled conditions.
The first goal is therefore key but I do fancy Boro to grind out a point given how strong they’ve been on the road lately.
Prediction: Leeds 1-1 Middlesbrough
Result: Leeds 3-1 Middlesbrough