Huddersfield Town vs Leeds United; Sky Bet Championship
Huddersfield Town vs Leeds United. Sky Bet Championship.
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Huddersfield vs Leeds preview: Championship clash live on Sky Sports Football
Watch live on Sky Sports Football from 12pm on Saturday; kick-off is at 12.30pm
Friday 6 December 2019 16:26, UK
Huddersfield face Leeds in the Sky Bet Championship on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Football.
Team news
Huddersfield have a number of injury concerns ahead of the visit of high-flying Leeds in the Sky Bet Championship. The Terriers will check on full-backs Danny Simpson (hip) and Jaden Brown (ankle) as well as striker Fraizer Campbell (hip).
Right-back Demeaco Duhaney, one of four players recalled to the club from loans this week, could be in the frame if Simpson fails to prove his fitness. Alex Pritchard will also hope to feature after being left on the bench at Bristol City last time out due to a calf niggle.
Leeds will be without suspended midfielder Kalvin Phillips as he sits out a one-game ban after reaching five yellow cards. Marcelo Bielsa has confirmed Ben White will step up from central defence into Phillips' holding midfield role, while Gaetano Berardi could slot in at centre-back alongside Liam Cooper.
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Midfielder Jamie Shackleton has been sidelined for up to three weeks with a new muscle problem and Tyler Roberts (hamstring) is still out after missing last week's home win against Middlesbrough. Adam Forshaw remains unavailable as he works his way back from a hip injury which has kept him out since September.
Recent form
Huddersfield are without a win in four, drawing two and losing two. They were thumped 5-2 at Bristol City last Saturday.
Leeds are on a remarkable run of form under Marcelo Bielsa. Their 4-0 victory over Middlesbrough last weekend was their fifth straight win in a row.
What the managers said...
Huddersfield's Danny Cowley: "Form book and league position go out of the window. We're very respectful of Marcelo Bielsa and his team. When you break Leeds United down it's about passing and running. When they haven't got the ball they want to press really aggressively. It's been enjoyable to do the analysis.
"We're going to be a young team tomorrow. Maybe a little bit short on experience but not short on enthusiasm. The great thing about being young is you're fear free. So we expect to play with a youthful enthusiasm. We understand it could be a little bit like climbing a mountain. But we're going to try to break that down."
Leeds' Marcelo Bielsa: "They have players that make us think they deserve a better position in the table and the impact of the new manager is helping to develop them.
"The manager's work is about balancing the result with the players you have, every team goes through that process and that can happen at different stages. Every match is a difficulty you have to overcome."
Talking point: White leading from the back for Leeds
With one-and-a-half seasons' experience in the EFL prior to this season, Ben White probably wasn't expected to reach the levels he has done during his loan spell at Leeds from Brighton, yet the 22-year-old has gone on to become an integral part of the defence at Elland Road.
With Phillips suspended for the Yorkshire derby clash with Huddersfield, Bielsa has indicated that his protege might play the defensive midfield role in his absence. With the manner in which he's adapted to Championship life, the switch should be seamless.
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This is the first meeting between Huddersfield and Leeds since February 2017, when the Terriers won 2-1 in a Championship fixture.
Leeds have lost their last three league matches against Huddersfield - they haven't lost four in a row against their Yorkshire rivals since a run of six between 1928 and 1931.
After a run that saw them lose 14 of 16 home league games, Huddersfield are now unbeaten in their last six at the John Smith's Stadium (W2 D4).
Leeds have won their last five Championship games, their longest run since a run of seven between November/December 2018.
Since scoring his first Huddersfield goal on February 9th, striker Karlan Grant has ended on the losing side in eight league matches in which he's scored - more than any other player in the top four tiers of English football.
Leeds midfielder Mateusz Klich has created the most chances from open play in the Championship (40) and been involved in the most open play sequences ending in a shot (117) - despite that, the Polish midfielder has registered just one assist this season.
Prutton's prediction
Huddersfield are having a bit of a reality check under Danny Cowley at the minute, without a win in four and they had a bit of a thumping at Bristol City.
Leeds are flying. Five wins on the spin and with daylight to Fulham in third. Can they hold on this season and get over the line? We'll find out one way or another, but I don't see their winning run ending on Saturday.
David Prutton predicts: 1-2 (8/1 with Sky Bet)
