Leeds United will look to keep their faint Championship promotion hopes alive when they face fourth-placed Derby County at the Pride Park Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Whites were top of the standings back in September, but they have struggled for results and for consistency since then and they have now slipped to 11th place in the standings, eight points adrift of the play-off positions.
New manager Paul Heckingbottom picked up his first point since he succeeded Thomas Christiansen earlier this month as his team came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with sixth-placed Bristol City at Elland Road on Sunday, with Pierre-Michel Lasogga and Kemar Roofe scoring the second-half goals.
It could prove to be a vital draw considering the Yorkshire outfit would have been 11 points off of the top six if they had been beaten by the Robins, but things certainly won’t be easy against the Rams.
Gary Rowett’s men jumped up to second following an impressive run of form, and although they only have one win in their last five matches they are still well positioned going towards the end of the campaign.
Heckingbottom made three changes to his team against Bristol City at the weekend, and he will perhaps be thinking about making at least a couple more in the east Midlands to give his side the best possible chance of winning.
Here is how Leeds must line up against Derby on Wednesday…
Defence
Felix Wiedwald started the season as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper, then was dropped for Andy Lonergan, and then came back into the team.
However, after his performance against Bristol City on Sunday his place in the starting XI should be under threat again.
The German stopper was at fault for the Robins’ first goal as he came to punch the ball and completely missed it, and it does seem that his presence between the sticks isn’t filling the defence with too much confidence.
The experienced Lonergan should replace him at the Pride Park Stadium, and while Liam Cooper is back from suspension, Heckingbottom could choose to stick with the back four that started against the Robins – Vurnon Anita, Pontus Jansson, Matthew Pennington and Laurens De Bock.
Midfield
Heckingbottom went with four across the middle of the park against the Robins, and he may stick with the same system against the Rams seeing as it is one that he used on a number of occasions when he was Barnsley boss.
Stuart Dallas, Adam Forshaw, Eunan O’Kane and Pablo Hernandez were the quartet on Sunday, and the Leeds boss may have some big decisions to make on Wednesday as Samu Saiz returns from a six-match suspension.
The Spaniard seems more likely to start on the substitutes’ bench on the road however, and Heckingbottom could go with the same four again even though Kalvin Phillips and Hadi Sacko both came on against Bristol City.
Attack
Heckingbottom decided to go with Pierre-Michel Lasogga and Caleb Ekuban up top together against Bristol City on Sunday, and if he wants his team to be a serious goal threat against Derby on Wednesday night he should go with two again.
While Lasogga got a goal against the Robins and looks to be a certain starter given his strength, Kemar Roofe staked his claim for a spot in the starting XI at the Pride Park Stadium after replacing Ekuban and scoring the all-important equalising goal against Lee Johnson’s men on Sunday.
Ekuban is quick and may be more effective on the road against Derby than Roofe would be, but goals are more important for Leeds now and Roofe should get the nod considering he has nine in 29 Championship outings this season.
Do you agree, Leeds fans? Let us know below.
