Leeds United v Tottenham Hotspur - rating the chances of seeing Marcelo Bielsa's injured stars in action

The Whites have been plagued by injury in the early stages of the season and the absence of key players has certainly played a part in Leeds’ sluggish start.

Things are looking a little brighter for Bielsa’s side after two draws and a win have taken Leeds’ points tally to a more respectable eleven from eleven games.

Unbeaten in three, Leeds now have to wait until Sunday November 21, when they’ll face Tottenham Hotspur in London, to continue building momentum.

The international break offers a good opportunity for some of Bielsa’s injured players to make strides towards recovery, and we’ll have an indication of who might be ready and who is still working their way back when Mark Jackson’s Under-23s play Chelsea on Friday November 19.

Until then, here’s a rundown of all the Whites’ injuries and how likely they are to feature at Spurs….

Patrick Bamford - 4/10

After registering three goal involvements in the first five games, Bamford picked up an ankle injury at Newcastle United which has caused him to be sidelined for the last five Premier League matches.

What was first thought to be a minor niggle has persisted which is frustrating both to the team, who have looked toothless at times without him, and to the striker, whose stint in the medical room threatens to prevent him matching his impressive goal tally of 17 achieved last season.

The striker was expected back by now but, according to Bielsa, the injury was not simple. The two-week break surely gives him some chance of returning for the Spurs game, however.

Robin Koch - 1/10

In October, Koch flew to America in the hopes that a medical intervention might resolve a persistent problem with his hip.

The defender underwent a minor surgery at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia and, since returning from the states, has been working on rehab at Thorp Arch.

Bielsa said at the end of October that the German still had at least a month to go, so it’s looking unlikely that he’ll feature at Spurs.

Junior Firpo - 6/10

Firpo picked up a minor muscle issue in training in early October. The Spaniard cannot have been far off Bielsa’s standards when he featured for the Under-23s before the Whites’ visit to Carrow Road, and was rated by Bielsa as a possible addition to the squad for Leicester, so the two-week international break should give him time to get up to speed for a potential return at Spurs.

Joe Gelhardt - 6/10

Bielsa was eager to stress that Gelhardt had experienced a ‘discomfort’ but not an injury as such when he spoke to press after the Leicester clash. The 19-year-old’s withdrawal from the England Under-20s squad is more likely a precautionary measure so, with a couple of week’s rest, Gelhardt has a good chance of being available for Spurs.

Jamie Shackleton - 6/10

Bielsa suggested Shackleton was a possibility for the Leicester clash. The 22-year-old wasn’t named in the matchday squad, but the manager’s comments suggest he must be close to fitness.

Luke Ayling - 3/10

Luke Ayling has been out since the Whites’ visit to St James’ Park, where the right-back suffered a knock in Leeds’ 1-1 draw with Newcastle, and is now recovering from minor surgery to his knee.

In his Southampton presser mid-October, Bielsa revealed that Ayling was about halfway through his recovery. Though the Argentine had hoped that Ayling might return after the international break, the Spurs game feels a little too soon.

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