Leeds handed triple boost ahead of Burnley’s visit

Posted Friday, December 31, 2021 by PA

Leeds will be boosted by the return of at least three players for Sunday’s visit of fellow Premier League strugglers Burnley.

Boss Marcelo Bielsa confirmed during Friday’s pre-match press conference that Junior Firpo would be back after suspension and joined in the squad by Diego Llorente and Daniel James following their recent struggles with illness and injury respectively.

Jack Harrison will also be fit after he was forced off in their last match with Arsenal two weeks ago while Patrick Bamford (hamstring) will be assessed but Liam Cooper (hamstring), Charlie Cresswell (shoulder), Pascal Struijk (foot), Kalvin Phillips (hamstring), Jamie Shackleton (Achilles) and Rodrigo (heel) are set to remain absent.

Burnley could have Maxwel Cornet, who sustained a thigh injury earlier this month and then tested positive for coronavirus, back in action at Elland Road.

Nick Pope, Jay Rodriguez, Josh Brownhill and Kevin Long all missed the 3-1 loss at Manchester United on Thursday following positive Covid-19 tests – Long has returned to training and the Clarets are waiting to see if Pope and Rodriguez can, while Brownhill is still unable to.

Ashley Barnes and Connor Roberts are not yet ready for the matchday squad as they continue recoveries from injury and a non-coronavirus-related infection respectively.

Leeds provisional squad: Meslier, Drameh, Koch, Ayling, Dallas, Klich, Forshaw, Raphinha, Roberts, Harrison, Gelhardt, Klaesson, Llorente, Firpo, James, Bate, Summerville, Greenwood, McCarron, Jenkins, Moore, Kenneh, Gray.

Burnley provisional squad: Pope, Hennessey, Norris, Lowton, Taylor, Tarkowski, Mee, Collins, Pieters, Bardsley, Long, Thomas, Cork, Gudmundsson, McNeil, Stephens, Lennon, Westwood, Cornet, Wood, Rodriguez, Vydra.