Leeds United are hoping to bounce back to winning ways when they lock horns with Newcastle United on Wednesday. The Whites, following a welcome win over Everton, have suffered two back to back defeats to Chelsea and West Ham, so they are in desperate need of three points in their bid to move up the league table.
Predicted Leeds United Lineup Vs Newcastle United
Defence
Marcelo Bielsa amusingly announced his lineup a few days before kickoff in the West Ham game, but we are in for a bit of guessing work this time around.
In the defensive department, the absence of two premier centre-backs in Robin Koch and Diego Llorente does narrow down our options. In fact, we could see a similar central defensive partnership of Luke Ayling and Liam Cooper like we saw against the Hammers.
Ayling featuring as a centre-back should force Stuart Dallas to right-back, with Ezgjan Alioski operating on the opposite flank. Neither of these two individuals had a good time against West Ham, and the coach has every right to demand more, especially in the defensive side of the game to put less pressure on goalkeeper Illan Meslier.
Midfield
Kalvin Phillips is a surefire starter in the holding midfield role. His return to full fitness has recovered Leeds United’s assurance in the possession, and the Englishman will once again play a key role against a Newcastle team who are likely to defend in numbers.
Moving slightly forward, it appears Pablo Hernandez will once again remain unused by Bielsa. So we can expect Mateusz Klich and Rodrigo Moreno to occupy the attacking midfield positions, although the latter is most likely to assume his role further upfront, almost as a secondary forward next to the main striker.
Attack
Patrick Bamford had a difficult time in the West Ham game. Disastrous would be an understatement as far as his form at Elland Road is concerned, and Leeds fans can only hope that the ex-Chelsea star can recover his scoring touch this time around.
Bamford should be partnered by the two wide attackers in Raphinha and Jack Harrison though both the players have the tendency to drift inside. So it won’t be surprising to see the fullbacks offering the width with Phillips dropping in as an auxiliary centre-back.
