Marcelo Bielsa outlines plans for Leeds United Carabao Cup clash with Stoke City

MASTERPLAN: Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa during Saturday's 3-0 win at Championship hosts Stoke City.MASTERPLAN: Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa during Saturday's 3-0 win at Championship hosts Stoke City.
MASTERPLAN: Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa during Saturday's 3-0 win at Championship hosts Stoke City.
MARCELO BIELSA is again planning widescale changes to his Leeds United side for Tuesday night's Carabao Cup clash against Stoke City at Elland Road.

Bielsa made seven changes to his side for United's first round clash at Salford City and has confirmed that something similar will be on the cards for a second contest against the Potters in the space of four days.

That will likely mean another opportunity to shine from the off for high profile summer recruits Eddie Nketiah and Helder Costa who are both still awaiting their first league starts.

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Nketiah and Costa both came into the starting line up as one of the seven changes made by Bielsa for the 3-0 win at Salford with Jack Clarke, Gaetano Berardi, Gjanni Alioski, Jamie Shackleton and Leif Davis also coming in as skipper Liam Cooper, Barry Douglas, Adam Forshaw, Stuart Dallas, Pablo Hernandez, Jack Harrison and Patrick Bamford sat it out.

Berardi, though, started his first league game of the season in Saturday's 3-0 win at Stoke which skipper Cooper missed with a minor ankle problem.

Douglas has also missed United's last two games with an injury with Alioski coming into the team at left back but Bielsa said last week that he hoped Douglas would feature in the cup clash against the Potters.

"The team we will play will be more similar to the team we played in the first round of the Carabao Cup than the one we played today," said Bielsa, speaking after Saturday's win at Stoke.

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Leeds are also still without Luke Ayling and Tyler Roberts but both were pictured in training on Monday at Thorp Arch.

Ayling had surgery on his ankle last month while Roberts had fluid drained from his knee at the end of last season.

Bielsa said two weeks ago that there was no timeframe for their return to competitive football, but Roberts is expected to make a comeback before Ayling.

"Week by week they are evaluating this process," he said.

"Tyler Roberts will probably be ready and in the team before Luke Ayling. I cannot confirm the date. We are talking about players who are not coming back soon."

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