Leeds United wait on five players ahead of key injury update from Marcelo Bielsa

The Whites have had a number of senior and youth players away from Thorp Arch with their countries over the October international break.

They will have all slowly returned to West Yorkshire in recent days ahead of Marcelo Bielsa' s pre-match press conference, which is due to take place on Thursday afternoon at the club's training ground.

United's head coach will give definitive updates over the health status of his squad before the clash with the Saints on the south coast.

Here, though, we take a closer look at the players who have faced issues in the treatment room ahead of getting the latest prognosis from the Whites boss:

Patrick Bamford - ankle/foot

Last season's top goalscorer has missed the club's last two league outings.

He picked up a ankle problem at Newcastle United and has been left in the treatment room ever since.

Bamford revealed two weeks ago he was yet to start training outside with his team-mates but was hopeful of a return in the latter stages of the international break.

"I imagine in the next 10 days, I'll be ready to run on it," he said. "So I guess when I can start running and change direction normally, I'll be back in with the team probably in a week."

Kalvin Phillips - calf

The Yorkshire Pirlo was forced to pull out of England duty due to a minor calf strain.

Leeds were forced to release a statement but the YEP understands that the club still expect him to be available against Ralph Hasenhüttl's men.

Phillips has been in fine form for the Whites and would be a major miss.

Robin Koch - pelvis

Koch has had somewhat of a nightmare start to his Leeds career over the last season or so.

He hasn't been available since the opening day defeat against Manchester United and continues to work away in the medical centre trying to reach full fitness.

Bielsa described his injury as "very rebellious" and refused to put a time frame on when he would recover last week.

Luke Ayling - knee

Leeds revealed that the full-back would undergo minor surgery to help clean out the knee injury sustained at Newcastle.

Like Bamford, he has been missing on-pitch since the trip to St James' Park and will be hopeful he can return after the break.

Jamie Shackleton, though, has proved an able deputy in his absence on the right side of defence.

Adam Forshaw - thigh

Another frustrating spell on the injury table for the midfielder.

After two years out with a hip problem, Forshaw has sustained a couple of muscle injuries since his return and now has another to contend with. The prognosis initially was around a month.

"He had a tear in the posterior part of this thigh. With a muscle they consume a month's time," Bielsa said in late September.

"Forshaw makes enormous efforts not to injure himself but after two years out it's hard."