Tuesday 26th January 18.00 | St James Park
Leeds are the visitors to St James Park on Tuesday evening, still looking for their first points (and goal) of the new year. It's been just over five weeks since the two sides met at Elland Road, producing a seven goal thriller with Leeds coming from behind to comfortably win 5-2. With four consecutive defeats, Newcastle have slipped within two place of the drop zone. They will be desperate to get points on the board but will have to play better than they did Saturday evening when they only recorded one shot on target, in their 2-0 defeat at Villa Park.
Leeds welcome back England midfielder Kalvin Phillips to defensive midfield duties after serving a one game ban. Diego Llorente is fit to play following his positive contribution for the U23's against Stoke City last week where he scored the only goal of the game. Luke Ayling should return to his favoured right back position with Dallas on the left. Pablo Hernandez is pushing for more game time but will find it difficult to dislodge record signing Rodrigo. Illan Meslier returned to training following illness, suepected to be Covid, but it is not yeat clear whether he will be fit enough to regain his place between the sticks from Kiko Casilla.
Steve Bruce has issues at both ends of the pitch with Newcaslte shipping nearly as many goals as Leeds this season, but not managing to make up for it at the other end of the pitch. He may be boosted by the comeback of winger Allan Saint-Maximin at the weekend, but it's unclear if he's fit to start after his lengthy Covid-19 absence. If he does he could be the one to watch. Javier Manquillo is doubtful, while Federico Fernandez, Ciaran Clark and Paul Dummett all remain out.
Anyone who watched Steve Bruce’s Newcastle at Bramall Lane the other week would probably have thought they were the worst team in the Premier League. Which is impressive given they were playing Sheffield United, a team who had not won a game all season until that point. With the attacking threats of Jonjo Shelvey, Allan Saint-Maximin, Joelinton, Dwight Gayle, Miguel Almirón and Callum Wilson at his disposal everyone questions why Bruce sets his Newcastle team up so negatively and rightly so!
But more recently Steve Bruce has been taking a gamble, going all in starting a more attacking side. Back to the traditional 4-4-2 a front line of Wilson and Carroll supported by Shelvey pulling the strings in the middle and Joelinton and Almirón providing the pace and creativity out wide. But it is a strategy that hasn't worked, losing 3-0 to Arsenal and 2-0 to Villa. Will Bruce gamble again against Leeds or will he revert to sitting back? Neither system has served him well and both present great opportunities to Leeds United to take advantage of Newcastle’s defensive frailties with Marcelo Bielsa’s swashbuckling attacking style. If we can put the past few results behind us after a good break it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to think we could put another five past them!
Leeds Starting XI
Meslier, Ayling, Cooper, Llorente, Alioski, Phillips, Dias Belloli, Dallas, Rodrigo, Harrison, Bamford
Substitutes
Poveda, Roberts, Casilla, Costa, Hernández, Struijk, Davis, Klich, Shackleton
