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Joe Mewis

Predicted Leeds United starting XI to face Manchester United amid lingering Raphinha doubt

After seeing off Premier League leaders Manchester City and holding defending champions Liverpool to a draw in their last two matches, Leeds United face another heavyweight opponent in the form of bitter rivals Manchester United.

The Red Devils visit Elland Road for a Sunday afternoon showdown, with Leeds eager to show how much they have progressed since December's 6-2 defeat at Old Trafford.

The match pits two of the Premier League's in-form teams against each other, but will we see any changes from Marcelo Bielsa?

That largely rests on Raphinha's fitness battle. As of Friday morning, when Bielsa underwent his pre-match press conference, the Brazilian winger had not yet returned to training after he suffered a knock in the closing stages of the win at the Etihad Stadium.

While Raphinha is one of the fittest players at the club and tops a number of physical statistical categories, two weeks without training is likely to see him miss out.

That paves the way for an unchanged XI. Illan Meslier should continue in goal, with a back-four of Luke Ayling, Diego Llorente, Pascal Struijk and Gjanni Alioski, with Liam Cooper serving the second match of a three-game ban following his red card against Manchester City.

Kalvin Phillips, Stuart Dallas and Tyler Roberts look set to keep their places in central midfield, with Helder Costa likely to again deputies for Raphinha and join Jack Harrison as Leeds' widemen. Patrick Bamford will lead the line.

Predicted Leeds United XI: Meslier; Ayling, Llorente, Struijk, Alioski; Phillips; Costa, Klich, Roberts, Harrison; Bamford

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