Eight Leeds United players with recent first-team experience have been named in the starting XI for tonight’s Under-23s clash, it has been confirmed.
Izzy Brown, Gaetano Berardi and Stuart Dallas will all feature from the start in the Premier League Cup fixture against Notts County at Nethermoor as they step up their comebacks from serious injury.
They are joined in a strong side by Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Tyler Roberts, Leif Davis, Jamie Shackleton and Jordan Stevens, who were all on the substitute’s bench for Wednesday’s 2-1 Championship win against Swansea City.
?| @LUFC Under 23s line up for tonight’s Premier League cup fixture: Peacock-Farrell, Gotts, Davis, Shackleton, Strujik, Berardi, Dallas, McCalmont, Roberts, Brown, Stevens. Subs: Miazek, Kamwa, Edmondson, Halme, Oduor #LUFC
— Guiseley AFC (@GuiseleyAFC) February 15, 2019
OPINION
Looking at that Leeds XI, Notts County face a huge task at the home of non-league Yorkshire outfit Guiseley, who are expecting a big crowd for a youth-team fixture that has plenty of United first team sub-plots. Marcelo Bielsa has set off on a walking tour of the Yorkshire Dales as he looks to get some much-needed down time, but he is likely to have played a major role in the selection of this side. It has been made very much with the needs of the first team in mind. Brown, Berardi and Dallas will get some much-needed game time under their belt as they continue their comeback bids, while youthful quintet Peacock-Farrell, Roberts, Davis, Shackleton and Stevens have the opportunity to show the Elland Road coaching staff why they should be recalled to the first XI for Saturday week’s Championship home match against Bolton Wanderers. With the campaign now entering its key stage, top performances now could sway the minds of Bielsa and his staff.