Leeds Utd v Wolverhampton Wanderers

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Leeds Utd v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Saturday 23rd October@15:00 | Elland Road


Wolves will be searching for their fourth win in successive games when they visit Elland Road on Saturday afternoon. After a slow start, Bruno Lage's team have recorded victories at St Marys, at home against Newcastle, and came from two goals down to win at Villa Park last weekend.

Francisco Trincao should return to the starting line up for the visitors. The Portuguese winger caught Covid whilst on International duty, but has now fully recovered. He is likely to replace former Leeds target Adama Traore!

Raphinha is set to return for the Whites. The inspirational winger had an incredible International break with five time World Cup winners Brazil. Two assists, two goals, and many more key passes firmly put the spotlight on the 24yo. Let's hope he can deliver similar performances for his club!

It seems unlikely that Kalvin Phillips will play, after it was revealed earlier in the week, that he developed a hip problem whilst recovering from his calf strain. Defensive trio Robin Koch, Junior Firpo and Luke Ayling will also miss out. Firpo picked up a muscular injury last Thursday that ruled him out of the trip to St Mary's whilst Koch and Ayling continue to recover from surgery. Ayling is responding well to treatment, and returned to light training at Thorp Arch earlier in the week.

It's not great news for Bamford either after Bielsa refused to put a time limit on how longer the England striker will be sidelined with his ankle injury. With Firpo, Koch, Ayling, Phillips and Bamford all but guaranteed to be sidelined, what is the best Leeds can hope for on Saturday?

 

2.1

 

Injuries yet again will hurt us with 5 first team players still out. What way will Bielsa shuffle his pack and how many will be square pegging again. Shaks, Llorente, Cooper and Dallas or will he adopt a back 3 midfield is where we get hurt all the time as we will only have Klich and Maybe Forshaw backed up by Roberts with Raphinha and James and Rodrigo.

Cresswell, Summerville, Gelhardt, Hjelde will all be missing out playing for the U23s or lust playing 45 so hurting our league chances yet again. We may say the U23s is just not important but seems to be wasting h kids just sat on the bench. With having Dan James Raphinha and Jack Harrison all available why is Summerville required when he could play a full 90 tomoz for the 23s could Cresswell start alongside Llorente and Cooper and move Struijk into the middle and leave Forshaw on the bench. Whatever happens we will see square pegs again

 

Firpo out for 2 more weeks, Koch out for 4 more weeks, too soon for Phillips, Ayling and Bamford both out so yet again 5 first teamers out yet again. Makes life easier for Wolves.

Bielsa said he has had 5 or 6 times at Leeds when he has felt this low after a defeat. He said his players are reacting well and is confident the group will resolve the issues. He takes the blame and will never single out any player for blame. He says if the players are confident in his instructions they will overcome anything….

 

It'll have to be some reaction by the players if we've any chance against Wolves. Although the natives have been behind the team in the games we've played so far, an early goal against us and the players heads might go down and the crowd could get on their backs and make them even more nervous. Hopefully we'll scrape a win, but without the players who are injured I'm not exactly optimistic.

 

An injury to Roberts?

 

No such luck

 

An injury to Roberts - can be arranged. See Shaks...

 

Bring it on Wolves. you can huff and puff but you aint going to blow our house down.
2-0

 

Firpo Llorente koch etc etc so many injuries how do we do it. No bamford or phillips and Ayling all three of them good players but more than that. They are strong characters and the team is lost without them. Take away Alioski too as he kept spirits raised being the joker. So i expect nothing and see us being well entrenched in the bottom three by xmas.
2022 will be the time for this team to show it's worth and with hopefully a full fit squad. Until then we are toast.

 

cant see anything else but 3 points for Leeds and creeping up the table a bit more, we will just have more in the locker ,just pray the forwards havent forgot where the onion bag is, and they don't wear 2 left boots like D Abbott

 

Just have a feeling that this match could become all about the ER faithful. We've all been on an amazing ride with this team for 3+ years and this is probably the first time that genuine questions might be asked of the support. Will they be inclined to stick with this group of players through thick and thin or will the cracks start to show and the boo boys start to hold sway ?

Let's hope whatever the scorline and even if the performance is dire everyone is 100% behind the players and Marcelo.

 

every time i went yo ER the crowd soon put a stop to any dissent, and were always behind the team

 

Let's hope so Roger.

It will be a tough game against a Wolves team full of confidence and we'll be putting out a mix & match line up with a bench full of kids. Last thing anybody needs is a disgruntled crowd if we end up on the wrong end of a beating.

 

Rodrigo is dying to score in front of the ER crowd and if he does he will go on a roll. This is my only hope unless he gives Joffy a bit of a run. We could see Roberts up top with Rodrigo at 10, we could also see Dallas back in the middle if Bielsa tries Shaks at RB and Drameh at LB. who knows what is in Bielsas head, anything could happen

 

Thought Joffy did well when he came on last week.

Granted it was only 15 mins but he held the ball up better than Rodrigo/Roberts and made a nuisance of himself. I'd be happy for him to get the nod up front on Saturday.

 

Read some comments made by Jacko this morning who said Joffy loves playing with his back to goal and being double teamed because it opens up spaces for others and he can usually deal with 2 or 3 defenders to make something happen. Unfortunately against Everton when he came on they gave him a rough time double and treble teaming him because they feared him. Jacko said that fight helped him and will make him stronger if he gets another first team chance

 

Pray tell who these forwards are I haven’t seen any for ages