Premier League outfit Leeds United have been one of the strongest teams in the division so far this season, despite their inconsistency leading to various dropped points over the course of the campaign so far. The Whites have given some of the biggest teams in the competition quite a tough time already, with the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal having been given solid tests by Marcelo Bielsa’s men. Leeds’ most recent Premier League fixture saw them face off against Chelsea, and although they started that game well, they were unable to pick up the win.
The Whites’ next fixture is scheduled for Friday night, when they face off against David Moyes’ in-form West Ham United side. One of the biggest talking points in football this week was Marcelo Bielsa’s pre-match press conference ahead of the weekend fixture. When asked about whether he had any surprises in store for West Ham, the manager actually gave the reporter a surprise that he would never have expected. Instead of talking about any potential changes, the iconic manager went on to actually name the eleven that is going to face West Ham on the weekend.
Team News
The Whites actually have a number of first-team names unavailable for selection during this tie. Diego Llorente and Robin Koch have both been ruled out of contention, as they are sidelined with different injuries. Although Pablo Hernandez is now fully fit and training with the team, he isn’t going to start the Friday night match either. Jamie Shackleton is another player who is likely to be part of the roster, while Gaetano Berardi and Adam Forshaw will play no part in this match either.
Here Is The Predicted 4-1-4-1 Leeds United Lineup Vs West Ham United:
Predicted 4-1-4-1 Leeds United Lineup Vs West Ham United
Defence
Young goalkeeper Illan Meslier has been quite solid in between the sticks for Leeds United so far this season, which essentially means that he’s almost always an assured starter in the team. In front of him, considering Robin Koch’s injury, Bielsa is set to move Luke Ayling into one of the centre-half roles. Liam Cooper is expected to start alongside the makeshift centre-half, with Ezgjan Alioski and Stuart Dallas taking up the two full-back roles in the team.
Midfield
Kalvin Phillips is the man set to take up the anchor role in the core of the Leeds side in the match against West Ham. The Englishman put in a solid display in the defeat to Chelsea last weekend as well, and Bielsa confirmed during his press conference that the combative midfielder would be starting in the engine room. His attacking movement, paired with his gritty nature, make his presence extremely vital to a majority of the Whites’ offensive play.
Attack
Rodrigo is set to make his return to the eleven for this clash, with the former Valencia man expected to start as one of the advanced central attacking-midfielder. Mateusz Klich, who has scored a couple of key goals for Bielsa’s men, is set to start alongside the Spaniard in an attacking role. Jack Harrison and Raphinha are both set to operate in the wide areas, while former Chelsea academy graduate Patrick Bamford is likely to start as the main striker in the eleven.
