Farewell 2021. That was the year that was. A year when Burnley played 39 league games winning just 7 and ending with the lowest points per game average of all the current 92 clubs. A calendar year of league games that began with a 1-0 home defeat to Manchester United in January concluded with a 3-1 defeat at Manchester United in December. An unfortunate symmetry. Hello 2022. The only way is up.

We go again at Elland Road. These teams have already met at Turf Moor this season when Burnley picked up their first point of the current campaign. Chris Wood opened the scoring for the Clarets on the hour mark before Leeds drew level late on with Patrick Bamford applying the finishing touch. For this return fixture both teams go into the match missing key players. Burnley were without Covid victims Brownhill, Long, Pope and Rodriguez for their away trip to Manchester and were also deprived of injured players Barnes, Cornet and Roberts. Of these 7 missing only Brownhill, Long and Cornet are likely to be considered fit for the trip to Leeds. Leeds themselves will be without Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips who both have long term injuries but will welcome back Firpo, Dan James and Diego Llorente who will join fit again Robin Koch and Jack Harrison. Patrick Bamford, who has not played for four weeks having suffered a hamstring injury after scoring a last gasp equaliser against Brentford on December 5th, could also come into contention.

Leeds have 16 points from their opening 18 Premier League games and are currently 5 points clear of the relegation places. However they have lost their last 3 league games scoring just 3 goals while conceding 14. Only Newcastle and Norwich have conceded more goals in the PL this season and their defensive vulnerabilities were laid bare in their most recent game a 4-1 home loss to Arsenal on December 18. Head coach Marcelo Bielsa will be focused on starting the New Year with a victory against fellow relegation candidates Burnley. A fourth successive defeat would certainly increase pressure on the controversial Argentinian coach but he seems to have the backing of Leeds Chairman and majority owner Andrea Radrizzani who appointed Bielsa to his current post in June 2018.

Apart from a fine goal by Aaron Lennon, Burnley were wasteful of the few chances they created at Old Trafford and will need to improve on their finishing if they are to bring home any points from this trip into Yorkshire. Cornet’s eye for goal would be of immense value if he is fit to play but we are unlikely to know this until shortly before kick off. If Cornet is still injured will he depart to join up with the Ivory Coast team in
Cameroon for their opening game in the Africa Cup of Nations against Equatorial Guinea?

The match referee is Kevin Friend with Mike Dean on VAR. Light rain showers and a moderate breeze are forecast with kick off at 2pm. COYC!