Leeds United are set to recall Pontus Jansson to their starting XI for Tuesday night’s top-of-the-table Championship clash against Cardiff City, according to a the Yorkshire Evening Post.
The newspaper claim that Leeds expect Jansson to return to the team after he was omitted from the matchday 18 for Saturday’s 3-2 win over Ipswich Town.
Jansson, 26, failed to even make the bench despite being reported fit by head coach Thomas Christiansen after the Swede picked up a thigh injury in the previous weekend’s 1-0 loss at Millwall.
But the centre-back was only left out of the side as a precaution, with Christiansen claiming in the immediate aftermath of the win over Ipswich on Saturday that the Sweden international was available to play.
The Leeds manager admitted on Monday that Jansson was actually unable to play due to injury.
Christiansen said: “It was because he had had a muscle problem and I didn’t want to risk. He was able to be in the squad but my decision was to leave him out. He was out because of an injury.”
OPINION
Jansson is not just the outstanding defender at Leeds, he is arguably the best in the entire division. It is no coincidence that United have conceded just one goal from the seven league matches the talismanic Swede has played this season, and four from the two Championship fixtures that he has not. Announced fit to face Cardiff – oddly, Christiansen made the same statement 24 hours before the Ipswich match – Jansson will surely return to partner Liam Cooper at the heart of the defence, with rookie Conor Shaughnessy making way. The giant centre-back’s commanding presence will be needed more than ever against Neil Warnock’s side, who will inevitably pump crosses into the Leeds box and attempt to out-muscle and out-jump the visitors. With Jansson in their side, Leeds will be confident they can count with a peppering from Cardiff.