Predicted Leeds XI for Cardiff: 20-year-old starts, as midfielder is recalled

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Leeds United finally return to action against Cardiff City at the weekend, as they look to seal their promotion back to the Premier League.

Leeds are currently seven points clear inside the automatic promotion spots, but there are some concerns that the break in play has come at exactly the wrong time for Marcelo Bielsa’s men.

Leeds had won five games on the bounce prior to the suspension in play, and seemed to be closing in on the title.

However, all of Leeds’ momentum has been halted now, and they will be looking to settle any nerves by getting three points at the weekend.

Leeds are favourites to beat Cardiff, but picking up the victory against Neil Harris’s side, who are still chasing the play offs themselves, will not be easy.

Bielsa will need to get his team selection correct, and it seems likely that he will go back to his tried and tested line-up.

Bielsa has never been much of a fan of rotating his squad, and Leeds’ starting line-up should be fairly predictable.

Patrick Bamford will surely continue up-front, with 20-year-old Illan Meslier set to continue in goal.

In midfield Kalvin Phillips will almost certainly come back into Bielsa’s line-up now he is fit again, while Ben White and Liam Cooper will start in defence.

Predicted Leeds line-up: Illan Meslier; Stuart Dallas, Liam Cooper, Ben White, Luke Ayling; Kalvin Phillips, Mateusz Klich, Pablo Hernandez; Helder Costa, Jack Harrison; Patrick Bamford.