Beren Cross
It’s time for a natural finisher around the penalty box for Leeds United and after time to get over that ankle issue it’s time for Joe Gelhardt to return.
Daniel James’s pace, tenacity and work rate must be lauded, but he has been badly lacking around the penalty box for the Whites, where the problem was laid bare against Newcastle United.
Gelhardt has consistently looked at least threatening something around the box in the limited minutes he has had in the side.
The teenager starts as the striker for me with James dropping to the bench behind Jack Harrison and Raphinha in the pecking order out wide.
While Robin Koch has taken strides forward in the defensive midfielder slot, I still prefer Adam Forshaw in there on his return from injury.
The former Middlesbrough man did look dangerous and sprightly when he lined up as a more conventional box-to-box midfielder at West Ham United before his hamstring pinged, but he feels like a more dynamic base from which to build on in the deeper slot.
Furthermore, Rodrigo needs to keep his minutes building if he’s to get anywhere near his best level, while Mateusz Klich is ticking over in the middle.
The rest of the side remains unchanged at Aston Villa with Koch, Tyler Roberts, James and Jamie Shackleton finally providing at least some experience from the bench.
Beren’s XI: Meslier; Ayling, Llorente, Struijk, Dallas; Forshaw; Raphinha, Klich, Rodrigo, Harrison; Gelhardt.
Joe Donnohue
Eighteen days without a game and ample time to recover means Forshaw should slot back into the starting XI since pulling up with a hamstring injury at West Ham four weeks ago, but it'll be too soon for Junior Firpo, so Stuart Dallas continues at left-back in my starting XI.
We'll most likely see Leo Hjelde, Lewis Bate and Gelhardt on the substitutes' bench tomorrow, but not in the starting XI. Against lesser opposition, Bielsa might have been inclined to start one of the youngsters, but the Argentine does have a preferred hierarchy and tends to go with seniority over the popular choice.
Dallas over Hjelde is a no-brainer, even though the young Norwegian has made a positive start to life at Elland Road.
That's also why James will most likely start in attack, straddled by Raphinha and Harrison. All three have been available for large periods of the season and the win over West Ham demonstrated how away from home, Leeds can use that particular trio to their advantage.
While there's understandable consternation Gelhardt isn't making the starting line-up often enough, if James was to be dropped for a more conventional centre forward, Bielsa would most likely select Roberts in his place.
Besides, James's ability to run in behind should cause problems for Tyrone Mings, whose contrasting physical profile to the Welsh forward is something Leeds can look to exploit.
In defence, a centre-back pairing of Diego Llorente and Pascal Struijk is the preferred duo at present, but Koch's return to the team and solid form means he gets the nod for me in defensive midfield, with Forshaw deployed in the number eight role over Roberts.
Joe's XI: Meslier; Ayling, Llorente, Struijk, Dallas; Koch; Raphinha, Forshaw, Klich, Harrison; James.
