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Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Joe Allen and the Stoke City players Michael O'Neill will be without for clash vs Leeds United

Leeds United can take another big step towards Premier League promotion when they host Stoke City on Thursday evening.

Victory over Blackburn Rovers at the weekend assured the Whites of a play-off place at the very least, but automatic promotion is within sight with five games remaining.

Both Fulham and Brentford have already won this week to keep up the pressure on the top two in the Championship and West Brom could overtake Marcelo Bielsa's side on Wednesday evening.

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Whatever happens, come kick-off time on Thursday, Leeds will know that only a win at Elland Road will do.

And they will be hot favourites to overcome a Stoke side that sit two points above the relegation zone and have won just one of their last seven away games.

That was against Baggies all the way back in January and they do go into the game on the back of a 4-0 win over Barnsley last time out with former Leeds striker Sam Vokes on the scoresheet.

In terms of team news, Potters boss Michael O'Neill is set to have an almost full-strength squad to choose from ahead of the trip to Yorkshire.

“There are no fresh injury concerns," O'Neill said. "There are one or two knocks and little concerns and it’s natural given the regularity of the games that players are going to be pushed to the limit as they have been.

"We’re getting through four or five substitutions a game to give people recovery time.

"Saturday was nice for that because we were able to ease a few by taking them off either at the water break or slightly after that.

"But it depends how the game is. If you’re chasing the game you have to try to take something from it and the little injuries we have, hopefully they’ll clear up for Thursday evening."

With that said, O'Neill is set to be without at least two first-team players against United.

Joe Allen and Thibaud Verlinden are long-term injury absentees with Achilles and knee problems respectively.

Meanwhile, Tom Edwards has been nursing a foot injury and looks set to miss out too.

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