At least six Leeds United players could bid final goodbyes to Elland Road vs Norwich

Win or lose, Leeds United’s play-off clash with Norwich City will be a final farewell to Elland Road for some players in the squad. Regardless of which division Daniel Farke’s side are in next season, changes are expected in another busy summer transfer window.

While the result will be the priority for Farke on Thursday night, if the outcome looks certain before full-time, the German may be tempted to allow some players a last chance in LS11 with white shirts on. Another game could follow at Wembley for a final appearance, but as far as Elland Road is concerned, this could be it for several players.

The headline name is, of course, captain Liam Cooper. After nearly 10 years with the Whites, the 32-year-old’s current contract expires next month. Eight league starts under Farke make a new deal look extremely unlikely at this point.

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Another year in the Championship might give Farke pause for thought on an experienced leader like Cooper, but would he want to waste any more of his final few years as a bit-part player? It would be a surprise if tonight’s second leg is not his last chance to play for Leeds at home.

Jamie Shackleton is another whose current deal is expiring next month and this has proven to be another frustrating year for him at United. Since his debut under Marcelo Bielsa in 2018, Shackleton has never made more than seven league starts in a season for the Whites.

The Thorp Arch graduate is now 24 and needs to really seize the prime years of his career elsewhere. He may have a chance of a cameo tonight.

Sam Byram is the third player with a deal expiring next month, but 33 league appearances would suggest he has every chance of being offered new terms by Farke. It would be interesting to see if the German trusts him as a Premier League player, should they win promotion.

Joe Rodon, Jaidon Anthony and Connor Roberts will certainly say goodbye to Elland Road tonight unless new deals can be agreed with their clubs in the summer. Promotion would certainly put Leeds in the mix for a permanent Rodon transfer if they could agree a price with Tottenham Hotspur, but that’s a big if when Daniel Levy is involved.

Anthony’s loan is unlikely to mean he plays for Leeds at home again, while Roberts’s fate will be determined by Burnley’s plans as a Championship club once again. Beyond those six players with contracts expiring, there is a stack of players whose fates will be decided by the league Leeds are in next season.

At one end of the scale, Georginio Rutter, Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto are bound to attract significant offers if United are not promoted. At the other end, if they do make the leap at Wembley next week, it would be no surprise to see the likes of Charlie Cresswell and Joe Gelhardt consider their options.