Predicted Leeds XI: Bielsa to make just one change; 29-year-old dropped – originally posted on Sportslens.com
Leeds United will travel to Molineux to face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday in the Premier League.
Marcelo Bielsa confirmed yesterday that Rodrigo and Kalvin Phillips are both out of this match through injuries.
Diego Llorente has returned to training and he is available for selection.
The Spaniard has played only two games for Leeds since joining from Real Sociedad and he has struggled with injuries.
It just does not feel right to throw him straight into the mix.
Pascal Struijk failed to make an impact in the defensive midfield role against the Gunners, and he is likely to drop back to central defence.
It will result in a reshuffling of the system, with Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas operating in the right and left-back roles respectively. Ezgjan Alioski, 29, drops out for this game.
Jamie Shackleton will keep his place in the middle, while Mateusz Klich is expected to drops deep in the Phillips role.
Alioski struggled against pacey wingers this season, and his weakness was brutally exposed by Bukayo Saka in the previous game.
Dallas, on the other hand, is very solid at the back, and he excelled as Adama Traore’s marker in the corresponding fixture at Elland Road.
Patrick Bamford, Raphinha, and Jack Harrison will retain their place, while veteran Pablo Hernandez could be given a chance to influence the game.
Predicted Leeds starting line-up: Meslier; Ayling, Struijk, Cooper, Dallas; Klich; Raphinha, Shackleton, Hernandez, Harrison; Bamford.