There’s not a huge amount Marcelo Bielsa can do with his Leeds United team against Arsenal on Saturday.
Junior Firpo, Liam Cooper, Patrick Bamford, Rodrigo, Daniel James, Pascal Struijk, Kalvin Phillips and Jamie Shackleton are all unavailable, leaving Bielsa with 10 senior names.
One of those has not played since mid-August either, so Robin Koch cannot be considered as a selection at his sharpest ahead of the Gunners’ visit.
Cody Drameh’s appearance from the bench at Manchester City on Tuesday night may have been a choice with one eye on today from Bielsa.
There really is very little between him and Charlie Cresswell at the back, but he gets the edge based on the team news we have had from the head coach.
Given how undercooked Koch must be, it is hard to see Bielsa risking yet another injury with his immediate return to the starting line-up.
He has seen enough of Drameh and Cresswell to believe they can do a job at this level for a short period.
Predicted line-up: Meslier; Drameh, Ayling, Llorente, Dallas; Forshaw; Raphinha, Klich, Roberts, Harrison; Gelhardt.
