Mark Jackson issues important message to Leeds United's youngsters ahead of Friday's home clash with Chelsea

Jackson’s newly-promoted side have gone six Premier League Two Division One games without winning but enjoyed a 2-1 success at home to Premier League Cup visitors Mansfield Town on Monday.

Leeds will return to league action against second-bottom Chelsea in a 1pm kick-off at Thorp Arch on Friday and whilst full of respect for the Blues, Jackson says building momentum is now key to the footballing education of his young players.

Ninth-placed Leeds are still seeking a first home win of the season in PL2 D1 but Chelsea are yet to win away.

“As always, we’ll be expecting a tough game,” said Jackson, speaking on Leeds United' s official website.

“They have a world-renowned academy down at Chelsea, with a long history of producing top players.

"We know they have a lot of players out on loan at the minute, but they still have a lot of quality within the squad too.

“We’ll be facing a very good team who will cause us problems, but we will be ready for that.

"We want to use Monday’s result as a platform to create some momentum.

"It’s really important for the players to do that, and that’s their challenge against Chelsea.

“We want to build on the level of performance and play the way we want to play.

"We want to start to build momentum with regards to results now.

"It’s an important part of their development as players, so hopefully being at Thorp Arch, it’s a good opportunity to do that.”

Leeds have had several youngsters away on international duty but Jackson added: "Everyone is back in the building now.

"We’ve come together to work on the game plan and the structure for the game.

“I always like to catch up with the players when they get back in from international duty.

"We have a clear understanding of what they do whilst away, we monitor all their games and performances.

“We’ve know the minutes they’ve played, their training, what they’ve been exposed to whilst away and what shape they are in.

"They’ve all come back in good spirits and are ready to go!”

Eighteen-year-old duo Harvey Vale and Bryan Fiabema are Chelsea's joint-top scorers with four goals each, Fiabema a Norway under-18s international.

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/yorkshire-evening-post-launch-leeds-united-only-digital-subscription-ahead-premier-league-campaign-2967964

A message from the Editor:

Leeds has a fantastic story to tell - and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been rooted firmly at the heart of telling the stories of our city since 1890.

We believe in ourselves and hope you believe in us too. We need your support to help ensure we can continue to be at the heart of life in Leeds.

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/why-yorkshire-evening-post-needs-your-support-laura-collins-yep-editor-2913382

Subscribe to our website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app.

With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Click here to subscribe.

For more details on our newspaper subscription offers click here.

Thank you Laura Collins