Leeds United's Jamie Shackleton a 'possibility' to face Chelsea as Jesse Marsch considers back five

Marsch was given nothing away beyond his hope that Liam Cooper will be able to return from a minor knee problem but he faces the final three matches of the season without a specialist senior right-back, and with the normal deputy, Stuart Dallas, out with a broken leg.

Shackleton is a central midfielder but has started more games at right-back this season. He has only kicked off seven Premier League matches, none since injury, since February, however.

"It's one of the possibilities," said Marsch, who declined to bring Shackleton off the bench when Ayling was sent off for a two-footed tackle at Arsenal on Saturday. "Jamie was hurt for a relatively long stretch since I've been here but I've got to know him more and more, I've watched him with the (under-)23s, I've also gone back and watched the games he's played this season and the moments he's had on the pitch so I think he can potentially fit in whether we play with four or five.

"We've also visited the possibility of playing one of the centre-backs, and also with Raphinha and Dan James, who did that admirably in a five against Arsenal."

On the fitness of Cooper and Patrick Bamford, he said: "Liam Cooper, last time I said he was going to be ready to play and he trained the day before we had the press conference and I thought he was going to be available, then he had a small little reaction leading up to the match and we all just felt it was prudent he not push himself with the possibility we could lose him for the remaining days.

"Patrick Bamford is on the pitch doing individual work, hopefully in team training by the end of the week and doing fairly well."