Good Morning. It's Friday 20th November, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...
Unconfirmed report states Leeds Utd quartet to miss Gunners clash
Unformed reports on social media are claiming that Leeds may be without four key players for the visit of Arsenal on Sunday. Kalvin Phillips is recovering from a shoulder injury while Diego Llorente, Rodrigo and Ezgjan Alioski are battling groin injury, illness, and a hamstring injury respectively. Rodrigo has been self isolating having caught the covid 19 virus, but there are doubts that he is 100 percent fit.
How much fitness can a professional footballer lose in two weeks? I can't think of another club that wouldn't or hasn't thrown one of their most influential players straight back into the starting line up! There's only so much fitness a player is going to recoup in training. Surely the best way for Rodrigo to get fit is to play 70 minutes on Sunday.
Diego Llorente has now been sidelined since 11th October (40 days). This is his longest injury absence in the 27 year olds's entire career. According to Phil Hay, Llorente has been training at Thorp Arch this week, so perhaps he'll make the bench
Cresswell rewarded with new contract
Charlie Cresswell has been rewarded with a new two and a half year contract, keeping him at Elland Road until 2023, when he'll be the grand old age of 20! By this time, it is expected that the central defender will be major part of the first team. The U19 England International has recently been promoted to the U23's where he has played seven times this season so far. Talking to LUTV after signing his deal he said...
I’m over the moon to sign a new contract. This is a club very close to my heart, so I’m delighted to be staying here. I want to impress the manager and hopefully I can get on the bench for a couple of games and make the FA Cup squad.
Warnock slams Northern Ireland boss for over usage of players
Boro Manager Neil Warnock has slammed the demands placed on Leeds United's Stuart Dallas and Boro's Paddy McNair durings their recent outings for Northern Ireland. Warnock told talkSPORT...
I didn’t watch England last night because I watched Northern Ireland as we had Paddy McNair playing. He’s played three of the toughest games you could wish for. The play-off final and then two bloody friendlies in this Nations League. I don’t understand when you’ve got nothing to play for how him and Dallas can play every minute of every game.
There’s something wrong somewhere where you can’t bring a young lad in to the side when you’ve got nothing to play for. You’ve got to think of the players. We helped them by keeping him (Paddy) off training ahead of the first game and they were unlucky as they should have got through to the Euro’s.
After that though, yeah okay play him in one of the games but not two of them. I can’t accept that, not when there’s nothing to play for, although they’ve probably got no-one else who can take free-kicks!
