Leeds United will travel to Villa Park to take on Aston Villa this Sunday and the Whites will hope to keep their place at the top of the table.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side have won their five games in the Championship and confidence will be high in the camp as they look to win the final game of the first half of the season.
Despite suffering several injuries, Leeds have been pretty consistent and have done so by playing an attractive brand of football that has captivated the neutrals this season.
Despite all the changes Bielsa has been forced to make to his defence this season, Leeds have kept four cleansheets in the last five games and the back four will only be strengthened by Luke Ayling’s return.
Ayling has recovered from his knee injury and is in line to start come Sunday.
Defence
The Whites have had good success with Kalvin Phillips and Pontus Jansson at the heart of the defence, and Bielsa might continue with the same set-up on Sunday.
Ayling should slot in at right-back while Barry Douglas should start on the opposite flank. Bailey Peacock-Farrell will keep his place in goal.
Midfield
Izzy Brown’s injury is a blow for Leeds and in his absence, Pablo Hernandez could be moved to a more central role. The Spaniard should play alongside Mateusz Klich in the attacking third.
To provide the defensive cover to the back four, Bielsa might once again go with Adam Forshaw who has raised his game in recent weeks.
Young Jack Clarke is yet to start a game for Leeds but could finally be handed his first appearance of the season on the right wing. Ezgjan Alioski might feature on the left wing.
Attack
Patrick Bamford has done well after returning from his injury and we expect the former Chelsea man to start ahead of Kemar Roofe.
Leeds will have to rotate their squad, so Bielsa might want to keep Roofe fresh for next midweek’s clash against Blackburn Rovers.
Bamford
Alioski – Klich – Hernandez – Clarke
Forshaw
Douglas – Jansson – Phillips – Ayling
Peacock-Farrell
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