Leeds United are aiming to extend their winning run to five games as they face Derby County on Sunday. The Whites have been in tremendous form since their win over Blackburn Rovers and with just two games remaining, they could all but seal direct promotion to the Premier League next season with another victory this weekend.
Defence
Marcelo Bielsa had to make one change in the last game, with Ben White moving into the holding role due to the absence of the injured Kalvin Phillips. And with the key midfielder ruled out for the remaining two matches, White could retain his role in the number six slot.
It means Gaetano Berardi could once again partner Liam Cooper at the heart of the four-man backline. It will be interesting to see how he copes with the threat of Martyn Waghorn, especially having played very little professional football since the restart.
There will be no changes elsewhere either with Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas operating as fullbacks while Illan Meslier will once again get ahead of Kiko Casilla in goal. The Frenchman will be chasing his fourth consecutive clean sheet and his overall seventh in what would be just his 10th game of the campaign.
Midfield
As mentioned earlier, White is set to start ahead of Jamie Shackleton in the holding midfield role. The Brighton defender has impressed the onlookers with his passing game, but Derby County could pose a tricky challenge for him this weekend.
White is expected to be partnered by Mateusz Klich, although the Pole is likely to operate in a more advanced role, alongside Tyler Roberts. These two will look to provide the creative essence in the final third for Leeds United.
Pablo Hernandez, meanwhile, is most likely to be utilised as a second substitute.
Attack
Patrick Bamford is one of the most in-form players for Leeds United at the moment. Although the ex-Chelsea striker failed to find the back of the net against Barnsley, his work-ethic and clever runs could make life difficult for Derby County defenders.
Bamford is set to receive additional support from the wide attacking duo of Helder Costa and Jack Harrison, although Bielsa does have other options at his disposal including Ezgjan Alioski and Ivan Poveda.
