By Daniel Feliciano

22nd Jan, 2022 | 11:00am

Leeds given triple fitness boost as trio return to squad v Newcastle

Leeds have been given a boost as Diego Llorente, Joe Gelhardt and Tyler Roberts have returned to the squad to play Newcastle.

The trio missed the recent win over West Ham through suspension and injury respectively, but all three are back in the squad [LeedsLive] set to host the Magpies in a huge boost for Marcelo Bielsa.

They all return available for selection at the perfect time, with Adam Forshaw and Junior Firpo joining the treatment table casualties with hamstring problems.

Gelhardt picked up an ankle injury at the turn of the year and has yet to feature in 2022, while Roberts suffered a calf problem in the win over Burnley earlier this month.

Their returns mean that Bielsa could field a team complete with first-team options having had to navigate much of the season with several youth team stars in the match-day squad.

Boost

Leeds have been in relegation trouble all season, but with back-to-back wins over recent weeks they are now almost out of trouble.

Points on the board is better than games in hand and because of the way Bielsa admirably approached the Covid-19 outbreak within the squad there is a chance they get dragged back into the battle.

But it means that the need for points now is greater than ever before and the squad is seeing a timely boost in a return to action for it’s first-team stars.

Llorente will immediately make the defence stronger, while Adams’ return provides Bielsa with options in midfield and in attack too. Gelhardt’s energy and determination has been praised too but Leeds are in a great spot.

Looking for three wins in a row for the first time this season, surely they stick with a largely unchanged attack and look to build on their momentum and move towards mid-table.

In other Leeds news, Enquiry made: Leeds step up pursuit to sign £10m star with January contact – Sky Sports