Leeds are expected to appoint Sam Allardyce on Wednesday as they bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The club will part company with manager Javi Gracia – having already removed director of football Victor Orta – with Allardyce taking over for the run-in.

A poor season at Elland Road sees the club languishing 17th, and only goal difference keeps them out of the relegation zone.

They have lost four in a winless run of five matches and have four games left to save themselves.

Gracia only took over in February but confirmation that Allardyce is taking charge is expected a day after the departure of divisive director of football Orta.

The Spaniard took up the post at Elland Road in 2017 and helped the West Yorkshire side make their long-awaited return to the Premier League three years later.

But things have gone awry of late and embattled Leeds confirmed Orta’s exit by mutual consent.

Leeds travel to leaders Manchester City on Saturday, before hosting third-placed Newcastle. A trip to West Ham and an Elland Road encounter with European hopefuls Tottenham rounds out the season.

Allardyce would take charge after suffering his first Premier League relegation with West Brom, when he left six months into an 18-month contract.

The 68-year-old former Bolton, Newcastle, West Ham and England boss would be Leeds’ third permanent manager of the season after Jesse Marsch and Gracia.

Allardyce is reported to have agreed a basic salary of £500,000 for his four games in charge, with a £2.5million bonus if he can keep Leeds up.

Thanks to the FA Cup semi-finals, matchday 33 in the Premier League is a bit more spread out, with just six games taking place at the weekend.

A further six games are scheduled for midweek, so there is a chance to get some of those pulling double duty in your fantasy team.

Whether your interests lie in the title race, the top-four scuffle or the relegation battle, there promises to be entertainment for everyone.

Therefore, it is time for Stats Perform to give you some suggested picks for your team using stats from the wonderful people at Opta.

HUGO LLORIS (Tottenham v Brighton and Hove Albion)

As odd as it sounds after a 4-0 win, had it not been for Lloris' heroics between the sticks last time out, Spurs could very well have lost against Aston Villa.

The Spurs captain made seven saves in the first half at Villa Park to keep Steven Gerrard's team out, with the visitors scoring four from their five on target in an afternoon of ruthless efficiency that had Antonio Conte smiling.

Only Alisson and Ederson (both 17) have kept more clean sheets in the Premier League this season than Lloris (12), while the Frenchman last recorded more shutouts in a single campaign in 2017-18 (15).

JOAO CANCELO (Manchester City v Brighton and Hove Albion)

This feels like we're picking on Brighton, but the fixture computer has not been kind to them, pitting them against two of the league's most in-form teams this week.

Only Gabriel Jesus (seven) has more assists for City in the Premier League this season than Joao Cancelo (six), as many as in his previous three league seasons combined.

As well as that, Cancelo is part of a staunch City defence that has conceded the fewest goals in the league this season (20), and against a Brighton side that has scored fewer goals (28) than all except Burnley (25) and Norwich (20), will be confident of a clean sheet on Wednesday.

JAMES MADDISON (Newcastle United v Leicester City, Everton v Leicester City)

Maddison is somewhat of an enigmatic player and, not that long ago, was struggling to start in Brendan Rodgers' strongest line-up.

However, he has already equalled his goal involvements tally for the entirety of last season in the Premier League (13), with the former Norwich man only bettering that in 2018-19 (14).

Indeed, he has either scored or assisted in each of his last three league appearances (one goal, two assists), last doing so in four such games in January 2021 (three goals, one assist).

CHRIS WOOD (Newcastle United v Leicester City, Newcastle United v Crystal Palace)

It has hardly been an electric start for life on Tyneside for Wood since his January move, though goals drying up for his former club and relegation rivals Burnley has been a positive added factor for the Magpies.

The New Zealander scored a crucial penalty in the 1-0 win against Wolves last time out, though, and he is looking to bag in consecutive league games for the first time since May 2021 (run of three).

Also, only against West Ham (seven) and Wolves (six) does Wood have more Premier League goals than he has previously managed against Leicester (four).

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel promised to stay at Stamford Bridge until at least the end of the season amid ongoing uncertainty behind the scenes at the London club.

The German head coach saw his side snatch a 1-0 win against Newcastle United on Sunday thanks to a sublime 89th-minute goal from Kai Havertz.

Blues owner Roman Abramovich was one of seven Russian oligarchs to have assets frozen by the UK government on Thursday due to his native country's military invasion of Ukraine.

Chelsea are now operating under a special sporting licence, barring them from negotiating new contracts or transfers and preventing them from making ticket or merchandise sales, although reports have suggested the government may permit a swift sale of the club.

Speaking at a media conference after Sunday's win, Tuchel addressed his own immediate future.

"There's no doubt I stay until the end of the season," he said. "We just have to wait day by day because everything can change.

"There are circumstances we can't influence, but that gives us the freedom to focus on the things we can influence.

"The focus is on the first team, our players and me. But Chelsea is much more than just the first team. It is a massive club with huge tradition and there are hundreds of staff. It's not just the players, and it's important we show the spirit and give them the distraction."

The former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain coach enthusiastically celebrated the late winner on the sidelines, and was relieved to overcome a tricky game against Eddie Howe's resurgent Magpies.

"The Kai Havertz goal was exceptional, and we had a hard time on the pitch," Tuchel said. "They were very physical, and it was difficult to accelerate the game in the last 30 metres. It was important not to concede so that with one quality chance we could win it, and we did it."

Tuchel was also asked about arrangements for their Champions League last-16 second leg in Lille on Wednesday.

"My last information is we have a plane and we can go by plane and come back by plane. If not, we go by train; if not, by bus; if not, I will drive a seven-seater," he joked.

"If you asked me 30 years ago if I could join a Champions League match at the sideline, I'd say, 'when do I need to be there and how do I need to be there?'."

Diego Simeone insisted Kieran Trippier is an important player to Atletico Madrid but suggested the right-back may leave the club amid talk of a move to Newcastle.

Eddie Howe's side head into their first transfer window following the Saudi Arabian-backed takeover in October, with Newcastle reportedly submitting a formal bid to make Trippier the first signing of their new era.

The experienced Trippier has repeatedly been linked with a mid-season switch to Newcastle, having impressed during his stint in the Spanish capital, and has also previously been suggested as a target of Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton.

Trippier, who joined the reigning LaLiga champions from Tottenham in July 2019, has managed 67 top-flight appearances for Atletico, while Howe has previously managed the 31-year-old when the pair crossed paths at Burnley in 2012.

Atletico head coach Simeone addressed the transfer speculation on Saturday as he expressed his admiration for Trippier, though he conceded that managers cannot influence players' decisions to leave.

"Kieran Trippier has to decide whether he is leaving or not," Simeone told reporters on New Year's Day at his news conference.

"We will move on following his decision. We have always had these situations where very good players have the possibility of leaving.

"It will depend on what the player wants. We will then look for solutions. We coaches can't do too much in terms of players' decisions. We can only tell Trippier how important he is for the team."

Trippier has hardly excelled for his current team this campaign, failing to register a goal or an assist in 17 games across all competitions, but his previous displays for Tottenham highlight the quality Newcastle would be acquiring.

He created 49 chances in 27 Premier League games in 2018-19, the third-highest for defenders behind only Lucas Digne (71) and Andy Robertson (51), while playing eight and nine games fewer than the respective full-backs.

His addition would offer Howe an attacking outlet and the former Bournemouth manager will also hope the full-back can firm up Newcastle's defence, which conceded 80 league goals in 2021 – the most shipped by any Premier League team in a calendar year.

Howe's side are currently 19th, having won only once in their opening 19 league matches and collected just 11 points.