Marcelo Bielsa has admitted this season's West Ham are a better side to the one that defeated his Leeds United side twice during the last campaign.
David Moyes takes his team to Elland Road on Saturday afternoon with the Hammers unbeaten against Leeds since February 2005, admittedly the two teams have only played each other four times over that 15-year period.
During the 2020-21 campaign the Hammers ran out 2-1 winners away from home before a comfortable 2-0 victory at the London Stadium.
Ahead of the clash on Saturday afternoon Bielsa admitted that Moyes has added an extra attacking threat to his team this campaign whilst retaining the consistency he brought to the club last season.
"West Ham is the same team as last season," Bielsa said. "I see they have improved in their creative play. They have a very stable manner in which they play and the majority of their players are better this year than they were last year."
The match is made even harder for the home team thanks to a lengthy injury list that now includes England international Patrick Bamford.
"My first response on Koch, Llorente and Bamford [is they will] not participate," Bielsa added.
The Argentine is already without the suspended Pascal Struijk and could be without Luke Ayling and Jack Harrison as well.
Ayling picked up an injury against Newcastle last Friday and the manager was not certain if he would recover in time for tomorrow's match.
Harrison is available to play following his recovery from Covid-19 but due to his isolation the midfielder has not trained for some time and Bielsa is unsure on his fitness.
"Harrison would be in condition to play with the protocols," the manager said. "Just because the rules say he can does not mean he will be ready to play."
