Leeds United will host Middlesbrough on Saturday, and will look to make it five wins on the trot in the Championship.
The Whites are second in the Championship table, five points clear of Fulham who are in third, and two points behind leaders West Brom.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side have been undefeated in the last 7 Championship games, having won 5 games and drawn 2 of their last 7 games.
Their opponents, Middlesbrough, meanwhile are currently 20th in the league, and a whole 20 points behind Leeds
Leeds United Team News
Marcelo Bielsa revealed that three players will miss the game against Middlesbrough. Adam Forshaw, Tyler Roberts, and Eddie Nketiah will be unavailable, with Roberts being the latest footballer to join the treatment table.
Nketiah did feature for the Under-23 side, so he’s not far away. The same can be said of Jamie Shackleton and Ezgjan Alioski.
Let’s take a look at the possible Leeds United lineup that could face Middlesbrough on Saturday:
Predicted Leeds United Team vs Middlesbrough
Goalkeeper
Kiko Casilla will start in goal for Leeds, like he has done in every league game this season. He’s pretty much irreplaceable in the Leeds United team as Bielsa trusts the Spaniard.
Defence
It will be interesting to see what formation Bielsa uses against Middlesbrough. He played a three-man defence last time, and he could use the same formation to counter Middlesbrough’s three-man backline.
Ben White, Liam Cooper, and Luke Ayling started last time around against Reading as the three central defenders, and they will start at the back once again.
Midfield
Stuart Dallas, Kalvin Phillips, and Mateusz Klich started in midfield last time around and they will most likely retain their places in the Leeds United team. Ezgjan Alioski could be an option on the left if Bielsa uses a four-man defence.
With the absence of Adam Forshaw and Tyler Roberts due to injury, while Jamie Shackleton playing in the Under-23 game, Pablo Hernandez could play in the middle.
Hernandez returned from injury last weekend in the game against Luton Town, and also started in the mid-week game against Reading
Attack
Helder Costa could get a start once again, playing on the right in the Leeds United team. Jack Harrison scored the late winner mid-week, and he should get a start over on the left for Leeds against Middlesbrough.
After not scoring a goal in 10 games, Patrick Bamford now has two goals in three games, while also landing an assist. He should complete the Leeds United lineup as the striker against Middlesbrough.
