Leeds United will be looking to continue their winning momentum when they play hosts to Leicester City at Elland Road on Monday. The Whites are coming on the back of a sensational 3-0 victory over Aston Villa in their last game and will have ten days to prepare for this fixture, though their weekend opponents are coming on the back of a morale-boosting win over Arsenal.
Predicted Leeds United Lineup vs Leicester City
Defence
Liam Cooper was not even present in the game against Aston Villa, and despite the massive gap between the two games, Marcelo Bielsa might not get the compulsion to rush him back into the starting lineup. There has been no update on Diego Llorente either, but the Spaniard will be hoping to be available for the trip to Crystal Palace.
It essentially means that Bielsa is likely to persist with the central defensive combination of Robin Koch and Luke Ayling. So Stuart Dallas may once again have to operate at right-back, with Ezgjan Alioski occupying the opposite flank.
Illan Meslier, meanwhile, is a guaranteed starter in between the sticks, especially having kept a welcome clean sheet in the last game.
Midfield
Bielsa faces a bit of selection dilemma in midfield. Kalvin Phillips is injured, but his replacement Pascal Struijk was taken off early after picking up a yellow card. He was subbed by Jamie Shackleton, who then went on to provide an exceptional display in midfield.
That said, Shackleton’s compulsion to attack might provide imbalance to the Leeds United midfield. So we can expect Struijk to return to the number six role, with Mateusz Klich and Rodrigo Moreno occupying the more advanced positions.
Pablo Hernandez is a potential alternative in midfield, should Bielsa look for more creativity in the final third.
Attack
Rodrigo, in particular, is set to feature almost as a second striker – just behind Patrick Bamford, who scored a hat-trick in the win over Aston Villa. These two could be key for Leeds United as they look to break down a strong and disciplined Leicester City backline.
Elsewhere, Bielsa has no reason to shift away from the offensive duo of Helder Costa and Jack Harrison in the wider attacking roles, even though the likes of Tyler Roberts, Ian Poveda and new signing Raphinha are waiting in the wings.
