By Beck Pascal

21st Dec, 2021 | 9:10pm

View: Leeds United could be handed huge boost by rivals Aston Villa

Leeds United could be handed a huge boost ahead of their clash with Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa on Tuesday (December 28).

Four key players currently find themselves on four yellow cards, picking up a one-match ban if they get a fifth booking before Villa’s 20^th game of the season. 

Matty Cash, John McGinn and Tyrone Mings could all miss the clash with Leeds if they get booked during their boxing day showdown with Chelsea (December 26). 

Marvelous Nakamba is also on four bookings but is sidelined due to a knee injury. 

Leeds will also benefit from the number of players Aston Villa find themselves without due to coronavirus. Which caused their last game against Burnley to be postponed. 

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In spite of losing some of their own players, Leeds may see the current fitness crisis the rest of the Premier League clubs are facing a blessing. 

For large parts of the 2021/22 campaign, the Leeds squad has been a shadow of what it once was. The surge of coronavirus cases surging through their rivals could be to level out the playing fields. 

Games will only be called off if a team has less than 14 squad players available to play which has resulted in some surprise inclusions as teams look to make do whilst missing on key players. 

With the exception of Chelsea and Manchester City with exceptional squad depth.

It was confirmed on Monday that play would continue as normal, but the Premier League have urged all players and staff to get fully vaccinated. Figures released in their report indicated 77% of its players are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 with 16% of players having not been jabbed at all, with the remainder having at least one at this stage.

In other Leeds United news, Chris Sutton urges Brereton Diaz to ‘stay’ at Blackburn despite Leeds interest.