Raphinha makes Leeds United vow and provides fitness update ahead of important Aston Villa visit

The winger bagged his sixth and seventh caps for his country in World Cup qualifiers during the recent break, playing 63 minutes of a 1-1 draw against hosts Ecuador and then 82 minutes of a 4-1 win at home to Paraguay in which he scored.

The Paraguay outing came in the early hours of last Wednesday morning but the 25-year-old says he is now in good shape for tonight's return to Premier League action against Villa and vowed that international representation will not impact what he does for Leeds.

"Physically, I’m fine," Raphinha told BBC Radio Leeds.

"I feel well prepared. Whether at the club or with Brazil, I feel I can prepare well for games - it’s not an issue.

"Obviously the time difference plays a factor, going too and from different places and having to adapt, but it’s nothing that’s going to impede my ability when it comes to performing for Leeds.

"Every team goes on the pitch trying to win.

"We’re no different. In football, you can either win, lose, or draw - sometimes, depending on the situation, one result might seem more favourable than the other.

"We’re going to go on the pitch, we’ve got ninety minutes ahead of us and we’re going to give our all to win and try and come away with a victory.

"It's a really important game away at Aston Villa. We want to go there, play really well and get a result."

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