Leeds United look to get back to winning ways this weekend.
Leeds United visit Barnsley on Sunday and victory is very much on the agenda.
That goes without saying, but United lost their last game before the international break – a 1-0 defeat by Swansea at Elland Road – and Marcelo Bielsa needs to nip this in the bud.
Prior to losing against the Swans, Leeds had won four of their five Championship games and looking every inch like the pre-season favourites for Premier League promotion.
Bielsa’s side are bound to have sticky patches over the next eight months, but minimising them could be the difference between success and failure come May.
With that in mind, there is at least one change that the Argentine should probably make in order to boost his troops’ chances of bouncing back and none more important than the introduction of Helder Costa.
The on-loan Wolves winger was arguably Leeds’ marquee signing in terms of profile this past summer and yet the Portuguese is still waiting on his full Championship debut, but he has shown enough off the bench in recent weeks to warrant a starting spot.
Question is, who drops out? Based on the last game, Costa, who can play on either wing, should replace Jack Harrison on the left-hand side of attack, which might be a tad harsh on the Manchester City loanee but there is very little chance of the United boss dropping Pablo Hernandez.
Patrick Bamford’s struggles against Swansea has prompted calls for Bielsa to drop him for Eddie Nketiah, but this is a touch silly considering that the Whites hitman has scored four times this season, trailing by one goal in the Golden Boot stakes.
Bielsa will almost definitely stick with the former Middlesbrough striker – a £10 million signing last summer [BBC Sport] – and so he should. Drawing a blank against Swansea isn’t punishable by demotion to the bench when you’re in free-scoring form.
Here’s Leeds’potential XI overall:
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