Leeds United’s visit of Arsenal in the Premier League this afternoon is at risk of descending into total farce.
With a coronavirus outbreak at a number of Premier League clubs, this is the only contest going ahead as scheduled today, with four other games being postponed.
But Leeds wouldn’t have minded if their visit of the Gunners was also rescheduled because, well, they’re suffering through a major crisis of options, too.
Charlie Cresswell looked poised to make Marcelo Bielsa’s starting eleven this evening due to United having a depleted defence.
But even the highly-rated 19-year-old is now unavailable after The Daily Mail reported that he suffered a dislocated shoulder in training on Friday.
According to the same publication, Leeds only have nine senior players available for this outing, meaning that Bielsa is likely to include a number of fringe youngsters in the squad.
Here’s how Leeds supporters reacted to Cresswell’s injury report:
Extremely worrying
Honestly, this is such a concerning update coming out of Elland Road.
Remember, the festive period in English football is infamous for its intensity, with all Premier League teams expected to play every couple of days.
However, it looks ever so unlikely that Leeds will emerge from this period unscathed and lest we forget, Bielsa’s players cannot afford to lose matches.
The Whites are 16th in the Premier League standings and only five points clear of safety as things stand, but a disastrous Christmas could result in the Yorkshire club being sucked into a much more serious relegation battle.
If the Christmas schedule is scrapped due to COVID concerns, it’d be a massive blessing in disguise for Leeds.
Such is United’s problems, Archie Gray, a great-nephew of Leeds legend Eddie, has made the bench to face the Gunners this evening.
According to Transfermarkt, he won’t turn 16 until March, highlighting Bielsa’s desperation to name a squad.
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