Leeds United travel to Norwich City this Sunday, searching for what would be just a second win in ten matches to begin the 2021/22 campaign.
The Whites have begun the season in troubling form, but have suffered multiple injuries to key first-team players simultaneously.
This has greatly impacted the starting line-ups Marcelo Bielsa has been able to name in fixtures Leeds would ordinarily have been expected to win, based on last year's displays.
Fortunately, Bielsa stated on Tuesday evening after Leeds' 2-0 Carabao Cup exit to Arsenal that Raphinha and Jamie Shackleton should be available for the trip to Carrow Road in two days' time.
Asked if their absence at the Emirates' Stadium would affect their availability for Sunday, Bielsa replied: "We think not."
This point has been reiterated in the Argentine's pre-match press conference this morning, which outlined possible return dates for a string of injured players.
"Firpo and Raphinha are likely to be available and Bamford won't be," Bielsa said.
Patrick Bamford, Luke Ayling and Junior Firpo have missed numerous fixtures over the past month and were hoped to be on the road to recovery in recent weeks.
It has been suggested that Norwich could prove to be the line in the sand; for both Leeds' injury woes and their concerning form on the pitch, however that no longer looks to be the case.
"Shackleton is likely to be available and Ayling won't be.
"[There are] No precise return dates for Bamford, Ayling or Koch."
Bielsa did not make comment on whether any fresh injuries had been picked up during the cup defeat in midweek. He stressed immediately following the game that his decision to utilise all five substitutes, which included the withdrawals of Adam Forshaw at half-time and Diego Llorente on the hour mark, was not enforced by injury.
However, he did add that Kalvin Phillips came through Tuesday's fixture unscathed.
"He's also available," Bielsa added.
Follow everything Bielsa has to say in our press conference live blog.
