Leeds United are searching for their first win in 2021 as they lock horns with Newcastle United on Tuesday. The Whites are coming on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion and are yet to win any of their last three matches in all competitions. However, they have an excellent opportunity to seal a welcome victory against the Magpies, who are one of the worst-performing teams in England at the moment.
Predicted Leeds United Lineup Vs Newcastle United
Defence
Diego Llorente was an unused substitute in the game against Brighton & Hove Albion. It appears that the Spaniard is fit and could make his return to the starting eleven on Tuesday, featuring alongside Liam Cooper in central defence.
The return of the former Real Sociedad star should finally allow Marcelo Bielsa to shift Luke Ayling in his preferred right-back position. It should also pave the way for Stuart Dallas to return to his left-back role, which was almost a necessity given the poor performance of Ezgjan Alioski in the last game.
Illan Meslier, unfortunately, remains a doubt after having missed the Brighton game due to being “unwell”. Kiko Casilla is in line to deputise him once again if the Frenchman fails to recover in time on Tuesday.
Midfield
In midfield, Bielsa will be boosted by the return of Kalvin Phillips. The Englishman had missed the last game due to a yellow card suspension. His re-introduction into the side could come at the expense of Pascal Struijk, whose happy days might be over following the recent recovery of Llorente and Cooper.
Phillips should be partnered by Mateusz Klich as usual, with Rodrigo Moreno operating in the slightly more advanced position. Pablo Hernandez is a potential alternative, having featured more prominently in recent matches.
Attack
Moving forward, Bielsa should persist with the wide-attacking duo of Raphinha and Jack Harrison. However, these two certainly need to up their game following a rather disappointing showing against Brighton & Hove Albion. Ian Poveda is a potential alternative, should Bielsa look for a more direct approach.
As for the number nine position, Patrick Bamford is in desperate need of goals, having last found the back of the net almost a month ago against Burnley. Another underwhelming display in front of goal may frustrate Bielsa, who can deploy Rodrigo as an alternative in his position.
