Several Leeds first-team players ‘set to leave on loan’

Redfearn, whose side return to action at Blackburn Rovers in eight days time, has fielded a number of enquiries from clubs regarding the services of several players ahead of the closure of the Football League’s emergency loan window on November 27.

A number of players have found game time hard to come by recently, with Nicky Ajose not featuring since August 19 and Scott Wootton not sampling first-team action since the end of August.

Others such as Luke Murphy and Noel Hunt have also found themselves out of the picture.

Redfearn said: “I have had a conversation with a couple of them and they have done things right and asked in the right way and kept up their standard in training, so it is not a problem.

“At some point, we have got to address it.

“There’s been a lot of enquiries. I had a chat with Massimo (Cellino) before the international break and he knows what I think.

“We know where we need to go and it’s a case of looking what comes in and maybe some of these lads going out at some point.

“We are well aware there’s 10 or so days before the window shuts in November and if any go out, I think it will be sooner rather than later, I would have thought.

“It is a big squad to work here with and we are mindful of diluting the message through the week.

“Because if you are working with a big group, sometimes that can happen.

“Some of these boys really need to go and play some games. We have arranged a couple of behind-closed-doors games which they have played in, so they have minutes under their belts.

“But actually playing on a Saturday afternoon when there’s three points at stake and a crowd, that is the sort of experience they need at this point.

“We are mindful of it and are trying to get ourselves in a position where maybe one or two do go out.”

Meanwhile, Redfearn has confirmed that midfielder Tommaso Bianchi has returned to training after hobbling off in the second-half of Saturday’s win over Blackpool with a shin injury.

Redfearn, who will watch a yong under-21s side in action in a friendly arranged at Middlesbrough today, said: “He is fine. It was just a whack and he is back in training now.

“To be fair, he loves his training and he had a day where we rested him.

“But it was just a badly-bruised shin and he has got on with it and he’s fine now.”

United will be backed by the largest travelling away support in the Championship so far this season when they visit Ewood Park on Saturday week.

For the second year in succession, United will be roared on by a massive contingent in the Darwen End after 6,800 travelled across the Pennines for the fixture in East Lancashire last November.

United have already sold approximately 5,700 tickets for the Roses clash.

So far this season, the biggest visiting following for a Championship game arrived last Saturday when Rotherham United took 4,650 fans for the South Yorkshire derby to face Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.

Middlesbrough, who earlier today announced that they have sold out of their entire allocation of 4,800 tickets for their clash at Wigan Athletic on November 22, have now eclipsed that sales figure, while United have soared past it for next week’s fixture.

Some tickets are still available in the upper tier in the Darwen End for next weekend’s fixture.

Midfielder Rudy Austin is on international duty with Jamaica in tonight’s Group B Caribbean Cup fixture with Antigua and Barbuda.

Earlier in the week, Austin played ninety minutes in the Reggae Boyz’ 1-1 draw with Martinique in the same competition in Montego Bay