Tyler Adams eyes long-term Leeds United boost as boss highlights midfielder blessing in disguise

Adams excelled with the USA at this winter's World Cup in Qatar but will have to wait a little longer for his Whites comeback due to suspension. The 23-year-old was sent off for a second booking in United's most recent game at Tottenham Hotspur before the World Cup break and now serves a one-game ban.

Adams, though, has said he will be "100 per cent ready" for the trip to Newcastle United on New Year's Eve and is eyeing a longer term benefit from his enforced extra period of rest.

"Obviously I would like to be playing against City more than anything, especially here at home," said Adams. "But when you have a short extra week or extra few days that you can possibly get, it goes a long way towards the end of the season. So I'll use it.”

Adams played every minute of all four of the USA's games at the World Cup in which his side valiantly bowed out in the round of 16 through a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands. Adams picked up a calf injury against the Dutch and was given extra time off by Whites head coach Jesse Marsch upon his return but the midfielder has no doubts that he will be ready to face the Magpies.

"I played every minute of four games at the World Cup and they were very demanding games," said Adams."You leave everything out there on the field and after that I got seven days to kind of just mentally shut off a little bit.

"But still the body was catching up to everything when I came back so the coach and the medical staff gave me a couple more days extra. Obviously I am suspended against Man City as well so I have been doing a little bit of individual work to stay sharp but I'm catching up. I can't play against City but Newcastle - I'll 100 per cent be ready for Newcastle. No problem."

Marsch also hopes that suspension for his star midfielder will prove a longer term blessing in disguise. The Whites boss reasoned: "I think first of all for him, it's been good that he's not available because it gives them a little bit more time to kind of gradually build in because the demands on him mentally and physically were so high at the World Cup. I think he's come out of it in a good way. He's excited to get back to work. He's obviously very confident and eager to get going, but I think he's on track personally."