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Just the one change for Leeds, then, and a forced one at that – Pablo Hernández coming in for the injured Barry Douglas. Bielsa is clearly of the mind that no tinkering is needed despite the ominous downturn in results.
As for QPR, they make three changes with the most notable being the omission of Jordan Hugill who misses out with what the club describe as a “knock”. But the real story here might just be on the hosts’ bench, where there’s a spot for the teenage attacker Jack Clarke who joined this week on loan from Tottenham. Clarke joined Spurs in the summer from – you guessed it – Leeds, and was promptly loaned back to them this season, only to be recalled by Spurs in December because he wasn’t being given a game. Got that? If not, here’s the short version: Clarke has a point to prove.
Team news!
QPR: Kelly, Kane, Hall, Cameron, Masterson, Wallace, Amos, Osayi-Samuel, Chair, Eze, Wells. Subs: Barnes, Pugh, Scowen, Ball, Manning, Leistner, Clarke.
Leeds United: Casilla, Ayling, White, Cooper, Dallas, Phillips, Klich, Harrison, Costa, Hernandez, Bamford. Subs: Meslier, Casey, Alioski, Struijk, McCalmont, Shackleton, Stevens.
Preamble
Funny league, the Championship. Despite being runaway favourites for the automatic promotion spots and sitting snugly in first and second, neither Leeds nor West Brom have won a league game this decade! In fact, the only victory they’ve managed between them in the last month was Leeds’ 5-4 win at Birmingham – a glorious occasion, but hardly the stuff of hard-nosed champions.
And yet here we are, with Marcelo Bielsa’s boys heading down to the capital with top spot in their sights. A win would take them there – at least until their rivals play on Monday night – although leaving Loftus Road with three points might be rather more easily said than done for a side who, just as they started to look dead-certs for promotion, have hit that fabled winter wobble – the one their manager seems to carry with him wherever he goes.
Standing in their way this afternoon are Mark Warburton’s magnificently freewheeling QPR side, who are by no means out of the promotion chase themselves – and encouragingly for us, have scored more goals than any team bar the one at the very top, and conceded more goals than team bar the one at the very bottom. They also have the twinkle-toed Eberechi Eze, who if he isn’t the division’s best player is almost certainly the best to watch. And you thought Leeds were the Championship’s most exciting side. This should be good – strap in!
Updated
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