Sunderland rivals round-up as Arsenal star 'wants' exit and Leeds United boss issues injury update

Another exciting weekend of Championship football lies in wait was Sunderland prepare to take on playoff hopefuls West Brom. The Black Cats have seen their season fall apart since the turn of the year, and they are now bidding to finish in the top half.

Elsewhere, there are promotion and relegation races going on, with three teams realistically fighting for two places at the top. while there is a crazy scramble for safety down the bottom, with two relegation spots ready to drag a couple of teams down to League One with Rotherham United. Here we round up the latest from around the second tier.

Patino ‘wants’ exit

Swansea City loanee Charlie Patino is reportedly looking to leave Arsenal on a permanent basis this summer. The youngster was tipped to leave the Gunners in the summer, but he wound up settling for a loan exit.

Now, according to Pianeta Milan, Patino has already decided he will not renew his contract with Arsenal when it expires next summer. It’s reported the 20-year-old has already told his representatives to scour the market for a new club as he prepares to finish the season in South Wales.

Farke’s injury update

Leeds United are still battling away to climb into the top two with time quickly running out. Ahead of their clash with Blackburn Rovers, Daniel Farke has issued an injury update, confirming good news.

He said in his pre-match press conference when asked about the state of his squad “Alright, all the players came through – Ethan (Ampadu) came through, the players are in good shape, a few more days for (Wilfried) Gnonto and (Connor) Roberts, no problems, I think we are in good shape.” Leeds are currently one point behind both Leicester City and Ipswich Town heading into this weekend, while the former also have a game in hand to play.