Leeds United boss Daniel Farke faces a potential team selection headache as he prepares for a Premier League promotion decider against Southampton this weekend.
Injuries are a problem plaguing both teams in a few key areas as the Championship play-offs loom large in the background.
Daniel Farke will be looking for his side to bounce back from the recent 4-0 drubbing to QPR, which has taken automatic promotion hopes out of their hands.
To finish in the top two, Leeds will first have to beat Southampton at Elland Road, while then relying on virtually relegated Huddersfield Town beating Ipswich Town.
While possible, those set of circumstances appear unlikely and instead mean that Leeds may have to traverse through the play-offs.
It sets up for a potential final with Saturday’s opponents, Southampton, adding some extra spice to the meeting.
There are some injury concerns for both teams though, ahead of a big clash.
Leeds United injury latest
As many as five Leeds United players could miss out on the clash with Southampton, with a few of those making a late push for fitness.
Pascal Struijk and Stuart Dallas are set to miss the rest of the season, with the former picking up an injury before the new year, while fan favourite Dallas announced his retirement for the end of the campaign following a serious injury issue.
Dan James is a confirmed absence after suffering an issue with the muscles around his ribcage in the victory over Middlesbrough.
Connor Roberts could make a return to action, though Farke stated the full-back can’t play a full 90 minutes yet, while Patrick Bamford is still a doubt with a knee problem.
Southampton injury news
Southampton boss Russell Martin is gearing up for his side to take part in the Championship play-offs, following a drop in form that has seen any hopes of automatic promotion slip away.
The Saints will be looking to take some form into the competition and beating Leeds, a candidate for a potential final showdown, could put them in good stead.
There will be a few potential injuries to contend with, though Martin is hopeful that Ross Stewart will be back on the substitutes bench on Saturday.
Leeds vs Southampton preview
So the final day of the regulation season is just around the corner and it was one set up to be a potential party atmosphere for Leeds.
It still could be, of course, though their fate will lie in the hands of others and brings about questions over how to approach the game.
Should The Whites push too hard for a victory, they risk pushing their players too far ahead of a potential play-off run.
Equally, should the home side sit off and fail to win, while Huddersfield do them a favour at Ipswich, it will be an opportunity missed.
This is all while trying to avoid showing any signs of weakness to a Southampton side that could be met in the play-off final.
It makes for an intriguing game of cat and mouse, where Farke will have to try and win in the least taxing way possible to cover all bases.