Bielsa shares Dallas update, new Hjelde blow: Early Leeds United team news v Manchester United
Stuart Dallas is in contention to play for Leeds United when they take on Manchester United at Elland Road on Sunday, Marcelo Biesla has confirmed.
Speaking to the media today [18 February], Bielsa shared the update on Dallas’ situation after he went off injured against Everton last week.
However, Leo Hjelde could face surgery after suffering an injury at Goodison Park and he joins Kalvin Phillips, Liam Cooper and Patrick Bamford in being ruled out of playing against Man United.
“Kalvin and Cooper continue their normal processes, the objective is that they get to March available. The medical calculation was 12 weeks and that hasn’t changed,” said Bielsa, as shown on Leeds’ official Twitter account.
“Dallas is recovering, he hasn’t been discarded from Sunday’s game.
“Hjelde has an injury in his knee and if the process in the next three weeks is effective, he would be available in that term.
“But it could happen that he may not recover in those 20 days which would result in him having to have surgery.”
When he was later asked for an update on Bamford, Bielsa said: “No, he continues with the same problem.”
Rotten run of fixtures
Leeds fans are ruing their team’s failure to pick up more than one point in their last three Premier League matches because their next three games are super difficult.
While Manchester United have been pretty woeful under the charge of manager Ralf Rangnick, they have proven in recent meetings that they are more than able to step it up against Leeds.
Whether it’s their players turning in a performance against a rival or their players just being suited to playing against Bielsa’s style of play, we cannot be sure. But what we are sure of is that if we fail to pick up anything in our next three games against Man United, Liverpool and Tottenham, the relegation zone will no doubt be a lot closer.
While it’s unlikely, Leeds could potentially go into their game against Man United on Sunday just three points clear of 18th place.
If that happens – which, again, is unlikely due to Norwich playing Liverpool – and we lose that game against Man United, the next two games will turn into must-wins.
If there was a time for Leeds to turn in a massive performance and get a result against Man United, it’s now.
In other Leeds United news, a star player has snubbed two contract approaches by the Whites and could quit in the summer.