One Leeds United change and fitness boosts against Southampton but stars missing

Crysencio Summerville drops to the Whites bench where there is a return for midfielder Marc Roca after his recent knock. Max Wober also starts despite injuring his shoulder in last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Everton but captain Liam Cooper drops out of the matchday squad and Pascal Struijk is again missing.

Gracia kept his first team news update brief at Friday’s pre-match press conference, admitting only that Leeds had players out injured, some for a long time. The Whites had seven men missing for last weekend’s 1-0 loss at Everton in which Wober was taken off at the interval following a heavy landing during the first half. Caretaker boss Michael Skubala revealed afterwards that he suspected Wober had popped his shoulder.

Leeds were already without Rodrigo, Roca, Luis Sinisterra, Pascal Struijk, Adam Forshaw, Stuart Dallas and youngster Archie Gray whilst club captain Liam Cooper was not deemed ready to replace the injured Wober upon the skipper’s return to the bench after a recent knock.

Roca and Struijk were in contention to feature at Everton last weekend but neither made the matchday squad. Roca is another player who recently suffered a knock whilst Skubala revealed that Struijk felt “fogginess” in training ahead of the Goodison Park visit having returned from concussion suffered in the 2-2 draw at Manchester United.

Rodrigo is still recovering from ankle surgery whilst Forshaw is yet to return since an injection into his hip. Dallas, who fractured his femur against Manchester City late last season, continues to work his way back following subsequent surgeries whilst youngster Gray has also still been out.

New Saints boss Ruben Selles has named an unchanged Southampton side. Captain James Ward-Prowse needs to score one more free-kick to equal the record number of Premier League free-kicks scored by David Beckham.

Leeds United: Meslier, Ayling, Koch, Wober, Firpo, Adams, McKennie, Harrison, Aaronson, Gnonto, Bamford. Subs: Robles, Monteiro, Kristensen, Roca, Gyabi, Greenwood, Summerville, Rutter, Joseph.

Southampton: Bazunu, Maitland-Niles, Bella-Kotchap, Bednarek, Perraud, Lavia, Ward-Prowse, Elyounoussi, S.Armstrong, Kamaldeen, Onuachu. Subs: Caballero, Walker-Peters, Ćaleta-Car, Diallo, Alcaraz, Djenepo, Walcott, Mara, A Armstrong.

Referee: Peter Bankes.