Leeds United will look to bounce back to winning form when they travel to Ewood Park to face Blackburn Rovers on Saturday. The Whites were held by Luton Town in their last game, which helped West Bromwich Albion to close the gap at the top to just one point. Hence, securing a win could be imperative as they look to maintain their advantage over the Baggies.
Predicted Leeds United Lineup Vs Blackburn Rovers
Defence
Leeds United would most likely miss out on the services of Liam Cooper even though Marcelo Bielsa did confirm that it wasn’t a serious injury. But either way, the defender’s absence should pave the way for Gaetano Berardi to return to the starting lineup and form the central defensive pairing alongside Ben White.
Luke Ayling is a guaranteed starter at right-back. His ability to play as a centre-back could also be crucial should Bielsa opt for a more attacking approach by taking off Berardi as he had done against Luton Town.
Stuart Dallas, however, is set to miss out this fixture. “He feels something in the lower back/glutes, but don’t think he’s going to play in the next match.”, said Bielsa, when asked about his injury in the last game. His absence means Ezgjan Alioski is set to start at left-back.
Finally, Illan Meslier is set to start in between the sticks for Leeds United. The Frenchman will be hoping for a much-needed clean sheet, though.
Midfield
Kalvin Phillips is an undisputed starter for Leeds United in the holding midfield role. The Englishman was wasteful with his chance creation last time out and will be hoping for a more productive display against Blackburn this weekend.
Phillips will be complemented by Mateusz Klich and Tyler Roberts in the attacking midfield roles, although the latter is expected to operate much further forward. As for Klich, his work-rate could be important in maintaining Leeds’ intensity going forward.
Meanwhile, Pablo Hernandez is still unlikely to return to the starting lineup. The Spaniard wasn’t influential at all in the last game and would be hoping for better luck this time out.
Attack
Leeds United showed a lot of promise with their chance creation, especially with both Helder Costa and Jack Harrison looking rather menacing on the flanks. They will be hoping to retain their form heading into this fixture, although both of them need to improve on their final end product.
Same applies to Patrick Bamford, who simply hasn’t been able to impress the onlookers against Luton Town. His lack of productivity could become a real worry for Bielsa in the upcoming matches.
