Phil Hay dropped some fresh Leeds United injury news on Friday, confirming left-back Junior Firpo will miss the Premier League clash with Everton.
The Lowdown: Firpo struggling
The Whites signed Firpo from Barcelona last summer but his first season at Elland Road has been a little hit-and-miss to date, with injuries certainly not helping.
The 25-year-old hasn’t featured since the 3-2 win away to West Ham on January 16th, as he has struggled to overcome a leg problem suffered during the first half of that game.
Leeds head to Everton on Saturday afternoon in another big game at the bottom and would have been hoping to get Firpo back given he was spotted running at Elland Road this week, but a fresh update has been provided and it’s not the news fans wanted.
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The Latest: Left-back misses out again
Taking to Twitter, Hay confirmed that the left-back would not feature at Goodison Park, as he remains sidelined along with Liam Cooper, Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford:
“Marcelo Bielsa talking this morning ahead of Everton v Leeds – he’s not going to risk Firpo tomorrow but Firpo will be back next week. On the absentee list for Goodison Park with Phillips, Cooper and Bamford.”
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The Verdict: Dallas in defence?
Firpo’s absence means that Stuart Dallas should again slot in at left-back, as was the case at Aston Villa on Wednesday night when he earned a 6.3 rating from WhoScored.
The North Irishman’s versatility is priceless at times like these and he could be tasked with keeping Andros Townsend quiet, should the Everton man start on the right-hand side.
It is another huge game for Leeds, as they look to pull seven points clear of the Blues, but Frank Lampard will know that a win for his side will put them within one point of Marcelo Bielsa’s men – you’d be hard pushed to find someone who predicted these two playing out a a six-pointer at the beginning of the campaign.
In other news, one Leeds player has been linked with a move to a European giant. Find out who it is here.