Four Leeds players doubtful for Huddersfield derby

Warnock defended his decision to keep faith with a settled line-up for Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw as he faced up to a spate of problems which could deny him the services of four key players in this weekend’s West Yorkshire derby.

Defender Tom Lees and striker Steve Morison were sent for scans yesterday on injuries which forced their substitution during the meeting with Peterborough, and Ross McCormack and David Norris are among the walking wounded with a must-win Championship fixture looming.

Lees and Morison sustained hip and calf strains respectively while McCormack was unable to remember large periods of Tuesday’s game after being knocked out early in the second half. Norris, meanwhile, was forced to leave the field nine minutes from time after suffering a problem of his own.

The catalogue of concerns will almost certainly lead to a revised line-up this weekend as Warnock breaks up the side who have started United’s last six Championship matches.

A slow start at Elland Road on Tuesday came at the cost of two precious points with Dwight Gayle’s 15th-minute strike forcing Leeds to salvage a point through Sam Byram’s second-half equaliser.

But Warnock claimed he was justified in using the same side after an unbeaten five-game run, saying: “Every manager with hindsight would make different decisions but we don’t have the benefit of hindsight and I was quite pleased to keep the team as it was.

“I didn’t see any reason to change it and I don’t think you can legislate for Lees getting a knock like he did. It happens, and the same with Morison. I don’t talk in hindsight. We’ve just got to get on with the players we’ve got.”

The United manager, however, admitted that early injuries to Lees and Morison – both of whom were replaced before the start of the second half – and Norris’ late withdrawal hampered his use of substitutions against Peterborough.

Jason Pearce stepped off the bench to replace Lees and could now make his first start since Leeds’ 2-0 defeat at Barnsley in Saturday’s clash with Huddersfield while Morison’s replacement, El-Hadji Diouf, staked his claim for a recall with a lively 45-minute outing.

But the introduction of Rodolph Austin for Norris at a time when both Leeds and Peterborough were chasing a winning goal left other attacking options – Habib Habibou and Aidan White – unused on the bench. Diouf’s return after illness meant winger Ryan Hall did not feature in the squad at all.

Warnock said: “In the circumstances I almost wished I could have made five subs. Norris was struggling so we had to use one when it would have been nice to put others on.”

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