By motleedsnews

3rd Feb, 2017 | 1:12pm

Loan duo available: Leeds team news ahead of clash against Huddersfield

By Ian Hunt

New Leeds signings Alfonso Pedraza and Modou Barrow are available for selection for the team’s league showdown against Huddersfield on Sunday.

Manager Garry Monk revealed at his pre-match media conference on Friday that the deadline day arrivals are in contention to play in the top-of-the-table all-Yorkshire tussle.

But left-back Charlie Taylor will be absent for a 10th consecutive match as he continues his recovery from the achilles problem that has kept him out since 17 December.

Manager Monk told the club’s official Twitter account on Friday afternoon that Taylor “is still not ready” to return to action.

But Monk did report that new Pedraza and Barrow are available for selection for the first time after missing the 2-1 midweek triumph against Blackburn at Ewood Park.

Pedraza, who has joined on a loan-to-buy transfer from Villarreal, and Barrow, who has signed from Swansea on loan until the end of the season, were not registered in time to make their debuts against Blackburn.

The loss of Taylor for another fixture is a blow to Leeds, especially as Huddersfield are also flying high in the Championship and will be the home team on Sunday.

But defender Liam Cooper is available to play after being suspended for the win over Blackburn.

Leeds bounced back from their FA Cup humiliation to win their seventh league match out of nine on Wednesday night when were victorious at Ewood Park after Pontus Jansson’s late header secured the three points.

It enabled Garry Monk’s side to leapfrog Huddersfield in the table and climb to fourth with 54 points, one place and two points above their Yorkshire rivals, who have a game in hand.

The absence of Taylor means that Monk is likely to once again use right-back Gaetano Berardi as a makeshift left-back, a role he has filled impressively for a period of six weeks.