Javi Gracia relishing prospect of Leeds United reunion and declares long term plan with caution

Gracia will take in his eighth game in charge of Leeds through Sunday’s Elland Road showdown against Crystal Palace for whom Roy Hodgson has returned to succeed the sacked Patrick Vieira for a second spell in charge.

Gracia and Hodgson have already faced each other four times between April 2018 and March 2019 during Hodgson’s first spell in charge of the Eagles when Gracia was at the helm of Watford. Four years later, the duo will meet again on Sunday afternoon with Hodgson now 75 years old, 23 years older than Gracia.

Gracia is relishing the reunion but has fired a warning about the size of the test in store for his side – and also quipped that there is no chance he will be following Hodgson and still managing at 75 years old.

"No, no,” laughed Gracia, asked if he was expecting an equal time in management. “For sure, no."

Sizing up what he expected from Palace under Hodgson, Gracia pondered: "I expect a very difficult game, for sure, like all the games in this competition. In this case, it's a new manager that I had the opportunity to face him when I was at Watford. I know him very well and I know he's a very good manager, very nice people. All the staff in the different games we've played against them had good behaviour. It'll be a pleasure to see him again and to say hello again."