Leeds United’s hope for promotion to the Promised Land of Premier League seems to be done and dusted for this season. Despite starting the season well, they withered away as the campaign progressed and it goes without saying that they must try to end the season on a high.
Paul Heckingbottom’s men are due to host Bolton Wanderers at the Elland Road tomorrow in their next Championship fixture. With pride being the only thing at stake now, Leeds United have to give their best shot to clinch all three points.
Team News
Laurens De Bock and Kemar Roofe are sidelined owing to their injuries but Samuel Saiz is back in training.
Hers is how we expected Leeds United to line-up against Phil Parkinson’s side.
Goalkeeper
Bailey Peacock-Farrell did a decent job between the sticks of late but in the upcoming fixture, we expect Andy Lonergan to get the nod to start. Lonergan has trained this week and his experience would be vital for the club in the business end of the season.
Defence
Gaetano Berardi has been one of the bright sparks for the Yorkshire based outfit this season and there is no denying that. He is seemingly likely to operate from the right-back slot. Considering that De Bock is out of contention, Tom Pearce might be chalked at the left-back position. However, the youngster needs to contribute a lot more to make his presence felt.
Pontus Jansson captained the Swedish national side in their 1-0 win over Romania during the international break and he would be aiming to marshal the back line meticulously. He is expected to be pencilled at the heart of the defence of the Whites alongside Liam Cooper.
Midfield
Adam Forshaw was signed in the January transfer window and he is proving himself to be a galvanizing asset for Leeds United. The former Middlesbrough midfielder has been the engine room for his side as he has dictated the tempo of the game quite often and has galloped forward on plenty of occasions to contribute offensively.
Alongside Forshaw, we expect Heckingbottom to station Eunan O’Kane. These two should be able to shield the back line and knit the side together with their passes and vision. At the no.10 slot, we expect to see Samuel Saiz being rolled out in the starting line-up.
Attack
While Stuart Dallas is anticipated to operate from the left-wing, Ezgjan Alioski is likely to showcase his attacking prowess from the right-wing. Meanwhile, Caleb Ekuban has played in his side’s last 2 games and is expected to lead the line.
