Marcelo Bielsa provides fitness update on Leeds squad – including Rodrigo – ahead of Aston Villa

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Marcelo Bielsa provides fitness update on Leeds squad – including Rodrigo – ahead of Aston Villa

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has provided a fitness update on his squad, ahead of the club’s upcoming meeting with Aston Villa.

Leeds host Villa

The Peacocks are set to return to Premier League action on Saturday evening, in a meeting with Dean Smith’s men at Elland Road.

Leeds will head into proceedings with their tails up, on the back of a much-needed 3-point haul last time out.

On the back of a pair of successive defeats, at the hands of Arsenal and Wolves, Bielsa and co. got things back on track courtesy of a 3-0 drubbing of Southampton.

Marcelo Bielsa provides fitness update on Leeds squad – including Rodrigo – ahead of Aston Villa

Leeds United’s Raphinha celebrates scoring their side’s third goal of the game during the Premier League match at Elland Road, Leeds. Picture date: Tuesday February 23, 2021. (Photo by Gareth Copley/PA Images via Getty Images)

Aston Villa, on the other hand, have managed just a solitary victory from their last four in the English top-flight, leaving the Claret and Blue just a solitary point clear of their upcoming hosts in the Premier League table as things stand (albeit with two games in hand).

Phillips ruled out

As such, a tightly contested affair is widely predicted at Elland Road in 48 hours’ time.

Visitors Villa are of course expected to be without star man Jack Grealish for the encounter, after the English international picked up a fitness issue in training last week.

Marcelo Bielsa provides fitness update on Leeds squad – including Rodrigo – ahead of Aston Villa

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 28: Jack Grealish of Aston Villa in action during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on December 28, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)

Leeds, though, will also be unable to call on a number of key performers.

Speaking in a press conference this afternoon, Marcelo Bielsa was asked for an update on the status of his squad.

And the Argentine first went on to confirm that both Kalvin Phillips and Rodrigo are set to miss out once again this weekend. When pressed further on the former’s situation, Bielsa explained:

‘His injury is in his calf. It’s a place where we have to avoid that he has a recurrence because the recurrence makes the situation worse. So we’re being very cautious so that when he returns, he returns for definite.’

Also set to play no part versus Villa, meanwhile, is long-term absentee Robin Koch, whilst Mateusz Klich, who was forced off versus Southampton last time out, remains a doubt:

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This article was edited by Robert Fosterman.

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table

# Team MP D P
Player Team Goals
Salah, Mohamed Liverpool FC 17
Fernandes, Bruno Manchester United FC 15
Kane, Harry Tottenham Hotspur FC 13
Son, Heung Min Tottenham Hotspur FC 13
Bamford, Patrick Leeds United 13
Calvert-Lewin, Dominic Everton FC 13
Vardy, Jamie Leicester City FC 12
Gundogan, Ilkay Manchester City FC 11
Wilson, Callum Newcastle United FC 10
Watkins, Ollie Aston Villa FC 10
Rashford, Marcus Manchester United FC 9
Sterling, Raheem Manchester City FC 9
Barnes, Harvey Leicester City FC 9
Zaha, Wilfried Crystal Palace FC 9
Maddison, James Leicester City FC 8
Ings, Danny Southampton FC 8
Lacazette, Alexandre Arsenal FC 8
Aubameyang, Pierre-Emerick Arsenal FC 8
Soucek, Tomas West Ham United FC 8
Mane, Sadio Liverpool FC 7

Source: 101greatgoals.com