
Leeds United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Monday 19th October 8.00pm| Elland Road | Live on Sky Sports
Wolves are the visitors to Elland Road on Monday following the two week International break during which the Whites saw two key players pickup injuryies. Liam Cooper (Scotland) and Diego Llorente (Spain) both picked up groin strains, Cooper had passed a fitness test and was due to start but pulled up during the warm up. Pascal Struijk looks set to step into the centre of devence alongside Robin Koch. Lorente will have to wait at least two weeks to make his Leeds debut.
Leeds currently occupy 8th place in the Premiership, with 2 wins a draw and a defeat on the opening day of the season against Championship Liverpool. The Whites would love to collect another 3 points making it 10 from 15, moving them up to thirn in the table but will need to overcome Wolves. Nuno Espirito Santo's side sit 5 places below Leeds with 2 victories and two defeats.
Veteran midfielder Pablo Hernandez has recovered from injury, and will return to the squad, he will feature on the bench alongside Tyler Roberts and Raphinha. Rodrigo gets the nod up front after an impressive second half performance against Manchester City. Are Hernandez opportunities going to be limited this season? Does he have more of an impact coming on, with 30 minutes left? Marcelo Bielsa has given a strong hint that new signing Raphinha will be in the squad on Monday when quizzed earlier.
I think so. It’s difficult to say three days from the game because many things can happen, but if it was today he would be in the group. His adaptation has been very quick, instant. For this, I thank Victor Orta for a player who can adapt very easily to our style of play.
Nuno Espirito Santo has revealed Fernando Marcal is back in group training though is not fit enough to make the side. Wolves had to wait on Covid-19 tests for goalkeeper Rui Patricio, full-back Nelson Semedo, midfielders Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho and forward Daniel Podence who had all been away with Portugal, for whom Cristiano Ronaldo this week tested positive for Covid-19. All have been given the all clear and will feature.
The two sides have faced each other 97 times in the past, Leeds coming away with 42 victories to Wolves 33 victories. The sides last met during the 2017-2018 Championship season when Wolves won promotion to the Premier League. Wolves took the spoils on both occasions with a 4-1 victory at home and a 3-0 victory at Elland Road. Wolves have won just two of their nine Premier League games played on a Monday (D2 L5), beating Crystal Palace 2-0 in July and Sheffield United 2-0 in September of this year. Monday will be Leeds United's thirteenth home appearance on Monday night football in the Premier League, they’ve won 7, drawn 3 and lost 2. Most recent was a 3-2 win at home to Leicester City in April 2004.
Leeds Starting XI
Meslier, Ayling, Koch, Struijk, Dallas, Phillips, Costa, Rodrigo, Klich, Harrison, Bamford
Subs: Poveda, Alioski, Roberts, Casilla, Dias Belloli, Hernández, Shackleton