Leeds United 1-0 Watford - LIVE BLOG: Marcelo Bielsa post-match reaction from Elland Road
Marcelo Bielsa will be hoping the visit of the Hornets to LS11 can bring his side three points ahead of the upcoming October international break.
Leeds are yet to come away from a league encounter victorious since the summer break and will try again at the seventh attempt today.
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Hide AdUnited have been hit by a number of injuries in recent weeks, which saw Charlie Cresswell handed his Premier League debut last weekend in the loss to West Ham, though have earned three draws this term.
Bielsa's men do sit in the early season relegation zone but will be hoping they can kickstart the campaign against Xisco Munoz's side in front of another sold out Elland Road stadium.
Follow all the latest on our live blog this afternoon:
Leeds United v Watford - LIVE
Key Events
- Leeds United host Watford in the Premier League
- Whites searching for first win of season
- United host Hornets at 3pm
- Kick-off is at 3pm
- FT: Leeds United 1-0 Watford (Llorente 18’)
What Marcelo Bielsa has said
Asked if he felt United’s first win was imminent or if he was kept awake worrying about it, Bielsa said: “Nor one thing nor the other. I sleep normally and I always have the hope that we are able to win every one of our games.
“What we are forced to do every time we play is to deserve to impose ourselves.
“Deserving is not always synonymous with obtaining but it is a lot easier to get what you are looking for when you deserve it than when you don’t.
“But football has that particularity which prizes those who don’t deserve to get them.”
Leeds United predicted line-up
The return of Struijk and Llorente should mean that Cresswell drops back out of the side from last week - but which one of those will come into defence?
Flip a coin... Bielsa has a decision to make. We could also see Jack Harrison coming in for Daniel James, with the former recovering fully from Covid and the latter still getting up to speed.
YEP predicted XI: Meslier; Shackleton, Llorente, Cooper, Firpo; Phillips; Dallas, Klich; Raphinha, Harrison; Rodrigo.
Early Leeds United team news
The Whites will welcome back Pascal Struijk and Diego Llorente back to Bielsa’s squad this afternoon at Elland Road.
Struijk has served his three-match ban for his red card against Liverpool - which was held up on appeal - while Llorente has returned from the Thorp Arch treatment room.
Luke Ayling, who requires minor knee surgery, is still missing as is last season’s top goalscorer Patrick Bamford though United’s number nine is hopeful of returning after the international break.
Robin Koch and Adam Forshaw are still sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Early Watford team news
Hornets midfielder Peter Etebo faces a five month lay-off due to a torn quad picked up against Newcastle last time out.
Tom Cleverly has completed concussion protocols to make the trip north while goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann is available after a knee issue.
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