Leeds United are still in the race for an immediate return to the Premier League, but require results elsewhere to help them beat Ipswich Town to second place in the Championship.
The Whites have endured a mixed campaign since facing relegation, with manager Daniel Farke taking some time to find form.
Once the Elland Road outfit picked up momentum, they quickly became one of the best sides in the Championship as they hunted down the teams above them.
Leeds managed to force their way back into the top two and appeared all but set for a bounce back to the Premier League in their final few matches of the season.
That excellent form then nosedived, with the Yorkshire side’s 4-0 defeat to QPR putting promotion hopes into the hands of rivals Ipswich Town.
Kieran McKenna’s side, who have stumbled in recent weeks too, picked up four points from their two games in hand to give them a key advantage for the final day of the season.
Championship promotion chances
So heading into the final match of the campaign, Leeds are three points behind Ipswich in the chase for a top-two finish.
It means that if the Tractor Boys avoid defeat against Huddersfield Town, then they will earn back-to-back promotions – though the Terriers boss has given Leeds some encouragement heading into the clash.
The Whites will need Ipswich to lose while they beat Southampton at home to land second, due to their superior goal difference.
It makes for a tough, and perhaps unlikely, set of circumstances that may subject Leeds to the lottery of the Championship play-offs.
Leeds vs Southampton selection headaches
With those Premier League hopes now out of their hands, Leeds have some big decisions ahead surrounding the final day of the season.
Daniel Farke will have to find a balance between trying to earn a win against the Saints, in case Ipswich lose, while also ensuring he doesn’t risk any players for the likely outcome of finishing third.
With some injury doubts hanging over the team, there will remain questions over which stars can afford to start and which ones can be rested.
The play-offs are a different challenge entirely, which will require a re-energising of the squad to put past failures behind them and grasp the chance of a route to promotion.
