Ex-Leeds United youngster hit with ban for violent conduct as Whites striker lauded by Southampton

Leeds United's Championship campaign hinges on the result of tonight's play-off semi-final clash with Norwich City. The Whites know that a win over the Canaries would be enough to send them to Wembley Stadium, where they would battle it out with either Southampton or West Bromwich Albion for the right to compete in next season's Premier League.

Lose and their season will come to an abrupt end with any hope of promotion being parked until next year at the very least. It's as simple as that for Leeds who will be looking for someone to step up and become a hero this evening in front of a packed out Elland Road.

Ahead of the clash, we round up the latest Leeds United news.

Max Dean given stamping ban

Former Leeds United youngster Max Dean has been handed a three-match ban for violent conduct after stamping on Crawley Town man Jay Williams. The incident occurred in the 11th minute of MK Dons' 5-1 defeat to Crawley in the second leg of their League Two play-off semi-final.

Dean's actions went unspotted at the time and he went on to score the Dons' goal in the contest as their season came to a disappointing end. However, after assessing the footage, the FA charged Dean retrospectively with violent conduct and after pleading guilty, the forward has now been hit with a three-game suspension.

The 20-year-old, who bagged 19 goals in all competitions for the Dons this time around, will now miss the club's first three games of next season. As his goal record suggests, Dean has been a star man for MK Dons this season, firmly establishing himself as one of the most exciting youngsters in the lower leagues after making the decision to leave Leeds United in January 2023. Dean left Elland Road before he could make a first-team debut for the club.

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Piroe's peer praise

Southampton forward Adam Armstrong believes Leeds United's Joel Piroe has the best left foot in the Championship. Piroe has bagged 13 goals for the Whites since making the switch from Swansea City last summer with his most recent effort coming earlier this month in the club's final fixture of the regular season against Armstrong's Saints.

The Dutchman will be hoping to make a difference tonight as Leeds face off against Norwich City at Elland Road and he could yet come up against Armstrong once more this season at Wembley Stadium later this month. The Southampton man is clearly a fan of Piroe's finishing ability and he included the striker's left foot when putting together the perfect Championship striker with Football Daily.

Armstrong said: “I’ll go for Joel Piroe at Leeds. I played against him when he was at Swansea, he has a lovely left foot so that’s the reason I went for him.”