Sutton ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if Javi Gracia makes bold Leeds FA Cup call

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Chris Sutton ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if Javi Gracia sacrifices the FA Cup when Leeds United visit Fulham on Tuesday. He believes securing their Premier League safety will be his focus.

The Whites travel to Craven Cottage in the fifth round of the FA Cup for an all-top-flight tie. Both clubs have only faced EFL opposition so far in the competition with Leeds overcoming Cardiff City and Accrington Stanley. Fulham have edged out Hull City and Sunderland so far.

Leeds needed a replay to beat Championship club Cardiff in the third round of the FA Cup, as well. Now, they will face the side currently sitting sixth in the Premier League while they rank in 17th place. Fulham are only six points shy of the Champions League positions, too.

Leeds moved up to 17th in the Premier League table at the weekend after Gracia oversaw a 1-0 win over Southampton. The Elland Road natives edged a relegation six-pointer during Gracia’s first game in charge. They had entered the weekend down in 19th after 23 games.

Beating basement boys Southampton lifted Leeds outside of the drop zone by one point to Everton and AFC Bournemouth. It was further the West Yorkshire club’s first top-flight win since pipping the Cherries on November 5. They went 10 fixtures without winning a match.

Sutton tips Gracia to sacrifice the FA Cup for Leeds’ Premier League safety

Leeds visit Chelsea next in the Premier League this Saturday and Sutton feels Gracia could sense a result. The Blues have endured a woeful run of results to rank in just 10th place in the top-flight table. Graham Potter’s side have won one of their last nine and none in five.

So, with securing Leeds’ Premier League safety Gracia’s priority, Sutton feels he may field a weakened XI against Fulham in the FA Cup. The Whites have not ventured beyond the fifth round of the cup since 2002/03. It is also Leeds’ first time in the fifth round since 2015/16.

“Leeds got the victory they had been waiting for on Saturday in Javi Gracia’s first game in charge,” Sutton wrote in his column for BBC Sport. “Avoiding relegation is clearly going to be Gracia’s priority from here.

“They are away at Chelsea on Saturday in their next league match and they will see that as being winnable. So, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Gracia rest some of his players and, on that basis, you have to fancy Fulham to progress.”