EFL make official decision ahead of Leeds United’s potential promotion clincher against Stoke City

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Leeds United are just one game away from potential promotion to the Premier League under Daniel Farke.

Leeds United’s pending promotion to the Premier League comes at the second time of trying, with the Whites losing the Championship play-off final against Southampton last time round.

Southampton’s relegation has already been confirmed and on Monday, Leeds United can earn promotion if they beat Stoke City and Sheffield United don’t take all three points from their crunch match away at Burnley.

Daniel Farke’s side are in good nick right now having beaten Oxford United 1-0 on Friday night, owing to a Manor Solomon goal, to keep themselves in 1st after both Burnley and Sheffield United won earlier in the day.

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EFL appoint Darren Bond for Leeds United vs Stoke City

As ever, who the referee is will be of great interest to both managers with Stoke City still not out of the woods in the battle against relegation, albeit now sitting seven points above the drop zone.

And the EFL have announced that Darren Bond will officiate the game between Leeds United and Stoke City. If the name sounds familiar it’s because Bond is a Premier League referee, although he’s now managing more and more Championship games.

This season and in particular of late, Bond has come under scrutiny because of contested refereeing decisions in certain Premier League games: particularly in the game against Everton and Leicester City in February and then in the Brighton and Leicester City game just a week ago.

A key penalty incident in the Brighton and Leicester City game was pondered for too long by Bond, who was in the end rescued by VAR. But with no VAR in the Championship it could make for a tricky night at Elland Road.

David Webb is refereeing Burnley’s game against Sheffield United.

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Darren Bond’s record when refereeing Leeds United

Leeds United have a fairly decent, albeit not perfect record when playing under Bond who in his career has overseen 14 games in charge of the Whites, who’ve won eight of those and lost four.

Interestingly, he’s neve given a red card in those 14 games, with two penalty kicks awarded.

But Farke and indeed Robins won’t count on who the man in the middle is: they’ll both want their players to dictate the outcome of the game and right now, the momentum is with Leeds United.

A win will put all the pressure on Sheffield United who face the very uphill task of beating a Burnley side who’ve not lost in their last 30 in the Championship.