Whites boss Daniel Farke must decide whether or not to make changes following Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Coventry City which followed the midweek 1-0 reverse at Sunderland. The return of one point from a last possible six has left third-placed Leeds ten points behind Saturday’s visitors Ipswich in the Championship’s second automatic promotion place and 13 points adrift of leaders Leicester City. The Whites are also now level on points with fourth-placed Southampton.
Farke is set to hold his pre-match press conference ahead of the Ipswich visit on Thursday but four players have already been ruled out although a pair have now returned. Here, we run through the early injury news from both camps ahead of Saturday’s lunchtime showdown at Elland Road.
1. Sam Byram (out)
Byram has a hamstring injury and is not expected back until the new year. Photo: George Wood
2. Jamie Shackleton (out)
Shackleton is expected back before Byram but is out with a glute injury. Photo: George Wood
3. Stuart Dallas (out)
Dallas continues on the long comeback trail from the femoral fracture that he suffered in the defeat at home to Manchester City of April 2022. Photo: Stu Forster
4. Lee Evans (out)
Evans is currently the sole Ipswich injury but a longer term one as he continues his recovery from a knee injury. Speaking before the weekend's 2-2 draw at home to Norwich City, boss Kieran McKenna told the East Anglian Daily Times: ""Everyone’s recovered. The couple of little knocks we had after Tuesday have recovered well, so it was only Lee Evans (long-term knee injury) who didn’t train today. That puts us in a good position." Photo: Julian Finney
5. Ian Poveda (returned)
Poveda has been away on international duty with Colombia, for which Leeds granted him leave with the friendlies against Venezuela and Mexico being outside of the FIFA international window. But the plan had been for Poveda ro return on December 18 (Monday) - putting him in line for a possible return this weekend. Poveda started both games for Colombia, latterly the 3-2 victory against Mexico on Sunday. Photo: CHRIS ARJOON
6. Junior Firpo (returned)
Firpo has recently been sidelined with a hamstring injury but Farke revealed last week that he had now returned to training though not in time to be an option for Saturday's hosting of Coventry City. Photo: George Wood