Javi Gracia shares Leeds United injury update ahead of Chelsea Premier League fixture

Javi Gracia has provided an update on Max Wober, Pascal Struijk and Liam Cooper ahead of Chelsea hosting Leeds United on Saturday afternoon.

Wober wasn’t in the squad for the FA Cup tie against Fulham (18 February) and Struijk has been sidelined with a concussion he sustained during the 2-2 draw against Manchester United.

Cooper is also currently out and the Spaniard was once again coy in his response when questioned on Leeds’ current injury situation.

“They are in the best hands,” said Gracia (quoted by BBC West Yorkshire’s Adam Pope, 2 March).

Free hit

This a game Gracia will be heading into fancying his chances. On the face of it, Leeds United have no right to go to Stamford Bridge and pick up all three points. Chelsea’s spending and players available to them mean they should be competing near the top of the Premier League, not floundering in midtable.

Due to their immense spending over the past two transfer windows, Graham Potter is now a man who is under serious amounts of pressure; a defeat against Leeds could be fatal for the former Brighton boss.

leeds united
Credit: Imago

The West London side have found goals extremely hard to come by despite having the likes of Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk in their squad. The challenge for Leeds is to remain as defensively sound as they can for as long as possible.

Frustration will grow around Stamford Bridge the longer the score stays 0-0 and that is when Leeds must try and take advantage. We saw the pace they carry on the counterattack at Fulham. Crysencio Summerville, Willy Gnonto and Georginio Rutter is a front three which could thrive by trying to exploit space in behind.

In other Leeds United news, one Whites player did something “crazy” at the weekend that “stunned” BBC reporter Adam Pope.

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