Leeds United Vs Sunderland: Farke issues fitness update as Elland Road hosts midweek clash
Leeds United will host Sunderland at Elland Road on Tuesday evening, and manager Daniel Farke has offered a fitness update ahead of leeds united vs sunderland after Saturday’s narrow defeat to Manchester City.
Leeds United Vs Sunderland — Farke confirms Justin and Rodon available
Farke said defender James Justin should be okay to face the Black Cats and that Joe Rodon is expected to be available for selection, despite concerns following the weekend match against Manchester City. Farke said Justin had "some problems with his hamstring" and that the medical staff had scanned and assessed him; "it seems like he is to be okay. So, as it stands, I expect him to be available for tomorrow. "
The manager added that Justin required stitches after the Man City game because he "was full of blood, " but called him "a tough boy. " Farke concluded his update by saying, "So as it stands, I expect just Noah Okafor to be out for this game and all the others will be available, " giving a clear picture of the immediate squad for the Elland Road fixture.
Head-to-head at Elland Road and recent home form
This meeting is the first Premier League game between the two clubs at Elland Road since August 2002, which finished as a 1-0 away win for Sunderland; Leeds have won the other four home league matches against the Black Cats in the competition. Sunderland are winless in their last three league visits to Elland Road (D2 L1) since a 3-0 win in September 2006, and their most recent match at the ground was a 2-1 Championship defeat in February 2025 when Pascal Struijk scored a brace for the hosts.
Leeds’ evening home record has been notable: since a 6-1 loss to Liverpool in April 2023, the Whites have gone unbeaten in 22 home evening (7pm or later) league games, with a sequence of 19 wins and 3 draws. The club has won its last 13 home evening fixtures by an aggregate score of 33-7. That pattern sits alongside a run in which Leeds have alternated between winning and not winning in their last 10 Premier League home games; they went down 1-0 to Manchester City in their most recent outing.
Form, recent scoring and team news ahead of kickoff
Sunderland’s recent runs underline the challenge they face: they are winless in their last 17 Premier League games played in March (D9 L8) since beating QPR 3-1 in 2012, and they have not won in nine midweek Premier League fixtures (D3 L6), scoring only once in that run — Chemsdine Talbi at Liverpool in December. After an encouraging start that saw them win five of their first nine Premier League games this season, Sunderland have taken just four wins from their last 19 (D8 L7).
On the player front, Leeds will be without Noah Okafor for the match while expecting Justin and Rodon back. Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goalscoring record this season shows a strong early run followed by a dip: seven goals from 15 shots between the end of November and end of December, then two goals from 19 shots since the turn of the year. For Sunderland, Eliezer Mayenda scored his first league goal since the opening day in the last match against Bournemouth, having only once scored in back-to-back league games for the club in February/March of last season in the Championship. Lineups have been announced and players are warming up ahead of the fixture.
Kickoff is scheduled for Tuesday evening at Elland Road, where Leeds will aim to respond after the recent defeat to Manchester City and where Sunderland will seek to break their winless run at the ground. Lineups are confirmed and both teams will take the field for the midweek clash.
