Here are your Leeds United evening headlines for Wednesday, January 13.
Mujica close to exit
Leeds are reportedly looking to sell striker Rafa Mujica, who has failed to make an impact at Elland Road since signing with the club in 2019.
Mujica initially signed with the club on a three-year deal but was immediately loaned out. He is currently at Real Oviedo, though he is yet to make a senior appearance for the second-tier team.
Despite this, La Voz de Asturias via TEAMtalk reports that Mujica's agent is in discussions with Real Oviedo regarding a permanent transfer. The report adds that Las Palmas are also interested in Mujica, while Numancia have also been credited with interest in the young striker.
Meanwhile, Ud Las Palmas via Sport Witness report that the Las Palmas are extremely keen to sign Mujica, though they must first agree to cut short Pietro Iemmello’s loan deal. Either way, it seems as though Mujica's time at Leeds is set to come to an end.
Key injuries ahead of Brighton clash
Leeds return to Premier League action on Saturday against Brighton with the chance to move into the top half with a victory. Leeds are dealing with a slew of injuries ahead of the tie. We have an update on some here.
Prior to the FA Cup defeat to Crawley Town at the weekend, Marcelo Bielsa confirmed that Diego Llorente is available to play but Leeds are managing him cautiously. Meanwhile, fellow centre-back Liam Cooper made his return on Sunday. Robin Koch remains a long-term absentee.
Tyler Roberts was unavailable against Crawley and Spurs and is uncertain for the weekend, while Gaetano Berardi is set to return from his ACL tear in February, Bielsa confirmed last week.
Finally, Adam Forshaw remains in rehabilitation from his hip injury. He has been sidelined the last 14 months and no return date has yet been set.
Phillips' impact
Kalvin Phillips is another Leeds star who will miss Saturday's clash with Brighton after he picked up a late yellow card against Spurs, giving him five on the season, and Joe Mewis has discussed the midfielder's impact for Leeds Live.
With Phillips in the team, Leeds have earned 0.21 more points per game than without Phillips. Dig a little deeper and the trend continues.
Leeds have scored 1.68 goals per game with Phillips in their side and 1.56 goals without him. Additionally, they have 1.01 goals per game with him and 1.5 goals per game without him.
Put simply, Leeds are a worse team without Phillips, whose absence against Brighton will be a big miss.
