Leeds United will look to end a horrendous run of form and start to build for next season when they host Bolton Wanderers at Elland Road on Good Friday.
The Whites were looking to pick up just their second win in 14 Championship matches when they hosted Sheffield Wednesday in a Yorkshire derby last time out, but despite substitute Jay-Roy Grot levelling in the 86th minute after Atdhe Nuhiu had given the Owls the lead 15 minutes previously, they failed to hold on for a point as the Owls striker scored again in stoppage time.
It was a defeat that all but ended their hopes of ending the season in the play-off positions as they now lie 12 points adrift of the top six with just eight matches remaining, and they would likely need to win every one of those to even give themselves a slight chance of being involved in the promotion race.
Paul Heckingbottom, who is already coming under scrutiny from the fans despite only succeeding Thomas Christiansen last month, and his men will be hoping to pick up just their second triumph since Boxing Day as they look to build for next term, but it certainly won’t be an easy task against a Trotters team that beat high-flying Aston Villa 1-0 last time out and are fighting for survival.
The 40-year-old made two changes to the XI that had drawn 2-2 with Reading previously for the visit of the Owls, and he will be considering making more for the visit of Phil Parkinson’s side given they were beaten once again on their own patch.
Here is how Leeds must line up against Bolton, ahead of Bailey Peacock-Farrell in goal…
Centre-back partnership Pontus Jansson and Matthew Pennington were each at fault for one of Nuhiu’s goals last time out, and they need to improve on their respective performances against the Owls if Leeds are to get a positive result against a rejuvenated Bolton.
With captain Liam Cooper a doubt they are likely to line up at the heart of the defence again, while Gaetano Berardi should start at right-back with Tom Pearce keeping his place at left-back after recovering from an understandably nervy start against Sheffield Wednesday to put in a largely accomplished display.
Despite another disappointing display in the 2-2 draw against Reading, midfielder Eunan O’Kane kept his place in the centre of the park alongside Adam Forshaw against Sheffield Wednesday, but another poor performance against the Owls must mean he drops to the substitutes’ bench against Bolton – something the fans are desperate to see happen.
Ronaldo Vieira and Kalvin Phillips will both be pushing to replace him and to partner Forshaw, but Heckingbottom should start the latter for this one – especially as he scored a brace when Leeds beat the Trotters 3-2 at the Macron Stadium on the opening day of the Championship season.
Ezgjan Alioski is probably Leeds’ most in-form attacking player right now and he and Pablo Hernandez are certain starters right now – especially as Samu Saiz is set to miss out again because of a thigh injury.
Stuart Dallas started on the left against Sheffield Wednesday but considering he didn’t impress, his place could be under threat with Hadi Sacko an unused substitute last time out.
However, the Northern Ireland international should get the nod for this one, and Heckingbottom should bring in Pierre-Michel Lasogga for Caleb Ekuban too considering the latter has struggled to make an impact in two successive starts, and with the former proving to be a handful when he came on for the last 20 minutes against the Owls.
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