Leeds United v Burnley - Marcelo Bielsa press conference LIVE, injuries and coronavirus latest as Whites return to action

Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa is facing the media on New Year's Eve morning ahead of Leeds United's return to Premier League action on Sunday against Burnley at Elland Road.
FOURTH MEETING: Between Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa, left, and Burnley boss Sean Dyche, right. Graphic by Graeme Bandeira.FOURTH MEETING: Between Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa, left, and Burnley boss Sean Dyche, right. Graphic by Graeme Bandeira.
FOURTH MEETING: Between Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa, left, and Burnley boss Sean Dyche, right. Graphic by Graeme Bandeira.

Leeds have not played since the 4-1 defeat at home to Arsenal on Saturday, December 18, after which the Whites saw their festive fixtures against Liverpool and Aston Villa postponed.

A small outbreak of coronavirus within the Whites squad led to both Boxing Day's clash at Liverpool and the Tuesday night hosting of Aston Villa being postponed.

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The coronavirus cases together with injuries meant United did not have enough recognised first-team players to meet the Premier League requirements.

But the Whites players that tested positive for Covid will be in line to return against the Clarets in Sunday's 2pm kick-off at Elland Road.

Bielsa will be speaking to the media at 9am this morning and you can follow everything that is said by the Whites boss at our live blog below.

Leeds United v Burnley - Marcelo Bielsa press conference LIVE

Key Events

  • Marcelo Bielsa facing the media at 9am
  • Clarets face the Whites at Elland Road on Sunday in 2pm kick-off

Patrick Bamford has been speaking recently about his recovery, but you didn’t mention him in your injury update - are you ruling him out at this stage?

This is the fourth week since Patrick’s injury. Patrick is healthy, but he hasn’t played for four weeks now. Now the convenience of him playing without him having done any football training sessions.

How confident are you that the game will go ahead, given the covid situation in your camp?

Until now, we think that the game will go ahead, because we are on our way back from the reasons for postponement.

Does this feel like one of the most significant games that you have had for quite some time?

Every game that we play from here on out will be important. The ones that we have played beforehand are the ones that position us where we are, and the game on Sunday is a great opportunity to re-direct where the campaign is going.

What is the key to improving defensively, and keeping more clean sheets in the games coming up and in the rest of the season?

In that sense, the collective mechanisms we try to develop them, the co-ordinations, the closeness between the whole team, the support, all of the aspects that make the capacity of the opponent and the errors able to be resolved.

Is it possible, then, to work on tactics, with those twelve or thirteen missing?

Collectively it is less possible, due to the numbers, but individually you attempt to do exercises to improve them.

How difficult has it been to put on training sessions that you wanted to do, given the number of injuries you have been carrying?

It’s common that, in a group, three or four players are missing, but when a group is missing twelve or thirteen players, it is a lot more difficult to manage.

Can you update us on the available squad for Sunday’s game against Burnley?

For the following game, we recover Junior Firpo, Dan James, Diego Llorente, Robin Koch - who had already returned, and Jack Harrison - who basically didn’t play in the last game as he picked up an injury as soon as the game started- has also recovered

Marcelo Bielsa takes his seat.

While we wait, how Leeds could line up against Burnley....