Middlesbrough v Leeds United: Pablo Hernandez, Mateusz Klich and Adam Forshaw carrying injuries but have 'possibility to play'

LEEDS UNITED trio Pablo Hernandez, Mateusz Klich and Adam Forshaw are injury doubts for Saturday's Championship clash at Middlesbrough though all three still have "the possibility to play."
By Lee Sobot
Published 7th Feb 2019, 13:42 BST
Updated 7th Feb 2019, 18:30 BST
GROIN PROBLEM: For Pablo Hernandez.GROIN PROBLEM: For Pablo Hernandez.
GROIN PROBLEM: For Pablo Hernandez.

Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa has revealed that midfielders Klich and Forshaw both have knee problems with Spanish playmaker Hernandez also experiencing a groin issue.

But Bielsa has indicated that all three could still line up in Saturday's lunch-time kick-off at The Riverside.

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"Forshaw and Klich have a problem in the knee and Pablo has a problem in the groin," said Bielsa, asked about his team news.

"They are not serious (injuries) because they have the possibility to play.

"But I never put a player who is in doubt in the pitch.

"I never push a player to play. I only put him in the team if he is 100 per cent available."

Jack Clarke is on standby to come in for Hernandez in the event that the Spaniard is forced to miss out on the account of his groin issue, with Kalvin Phillips set to come into the side at the expense of Forshaw should Forshaw be unable to make the contest through his knee injury.

Jamie Shackleton will be the alternative to Klich.

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Striker Patrick Bamford is also poised to make his first league start for Leeds after returning from a second knee injury when coming on as a second-half substitute in last weekend's 3-1 loss at home to Norwich City.

Bielsa said: "This will be the starting line-up: Casilla, Ayling, Jannson, Cooper, Alioski, Phillips or Forshaw, Klich or Shackleton, Roofe, Harrison, Bamford, Hernandez or Clarke."

Leeds remain minus the services of Gaetano Berardi following the tightness he experienced in his hamstring playing for United's under-23s on his comeback from a hamstring rupture.

Stuart Dallas is also out as he recovers from an ankle problem while Izzy Brown is continuing on the comeback trail from a year absence with an ACL injury by gaining match sharpness for United's under-23s.

Brown has been described as "fully fit" by head of medicine and performance Rob Price who says Berardi is "getting there" and has revealed that Dallas will begin outdoor running next week.

Related topics:Pablo HernandezMarcelo BielsaMateusz KlichMiddlesbroughPatrick BamfordStuart Dallas