Leeds United are the form team in the EFL right now, and they will be relishing their trip to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea on Wednesday night.
A place in the quarter-final of the FA Cup is the reward for the winners, and right now you wouldn’t bet against Leeds causing a shock.
To many though, it wouldn’t be that much of a shock because the Lilywhites are off the back of nine straight wins in the Championship.
Chelsea meanwhile, will be licking their wounds following defeat against Liverpool in the EFL Cup final on Sunday. In the Premier League, the Blues are having a frustrating season as they sit in the bottom half.
Leeds’ win over league leaders Leicester on Friday night closed the gap at the top to just six points, and with the wind in their sails Daniel Farke’s side are set to make an assault on the Championship title – a prize they won under Marcelo Bielsa in 2019/20.
Mauricio Pochettino, Bielsa’s countryman and current Chelsea manager, already named the Leeds legend as one of his primary sources of motivation, as he revealed to TNT Sports in December.
Pochettino has not yet adopted the high-octane strategies he introduced at Spurs at Chelsea. However, Leeds plays this way, so they will have little to lose when they travel to West London.
It’s a clash that promises to be an excellent cup tie, and on the eve of it we round up all the latest news at Elland Road.
Team news for Chelsea vs. Leeds
Daniel Farke yesterday confirmed the team news for the Chelsea game.
Patrick Bamford, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter are all touch and go, but Dan James and Sam Byram will be available.
Farke told Leeds Live: “Patrick showed a little reaction to his calf. There’s a question mark over Summerville too.
“Little bruise for Dan James but he should be available. Rutter has got problems with his hip flexor. We will make a late decision on him. There will be some late decisions.
“Sam Byram is back available. He’s in team training and is an option for this game.”
Kalvin Phillips linked with Leeds United
Regarding Kalvin Phillips, this may be the most startling piece of news that has emerged from Leeds in recent days.
Football Insider revealed that the beloved Elland Road fan, the former Leeds player, may make a comeback this summer. But only if the team makes it back to the Premier League will this take place.
Phillips moved to Manchester City in 2022 after serving 12 years at Leeds.
Under Pep Guardiola, he has had difficulty getting into games, mostly because of Rodri’s commanding presence in defensive midfield.
He struggled with form and his loan move to West Ham last month didn’t quite work out either.
Should Leeds return to the Premier League in 2024/25, re-signing Phillips will suit all parties involved and it would certainly represent a happy return for the player.
Leeds loanee Jack Harrison wants Goodison stay
Jack Harrison, a former winger for Manchester City, is presently on loan at Everton and is apparently hoping to stay there for the whole of the current campaign because he is loving his playing so much. That’s what TEAMtalk says.
He’s showing his value for Sean Dyche’s club with three goals and three assists as they attempt to avoid the drop, which seems more plausible given that the 10-point deduction they were originally facing has been lowered to six.
Harrison is an excellent player, and should Leeds decide to bring him back this summer, he will undoubtedly be a valuable asset to the team once more, as he was previously.
With Summerville, Wilfried Gnonto, Dan James, and Jaidon Anthony among the already great options on the wings, Leeds might be content to take advantage of Harrison.
However, should big clubs come calling for Gnonto and Summerville, then the ball could be in Leeds’ court regarding Harrison’s future.
