Marcelo Bielsa warns Leeds United about wounded Norwich City, but he has prepared just the same - Yorkshire Post 29/10/21
Marcelo Bielsa is expecting to face a more determined Norwich City side on Sunday, but says he will treat them the same as any other Premier League opponent.
By Stuart Rayner
The Canaries suffered a 7-0 defeat at Chelsea last week
which their sporting director described as "disgraceful". It cemented
their place at the bottom of the Premier League with two points from nine
games.
Leeds, though, are in a far from comfortable position
either, just one place above the relegation zone and without key players Luke
Ayling and Patrick Bamford through injury, so they cannot afford to take any
opponent lightly.
"When teams lose so heavily they multiply the effort so
a similar defeat doesn't happen in their next game," warned coach Bielsa.
"Those evaluations are not necessary because every game in itself is
difficult due to everything that's in play and because our own reality obliges
us more than ever, independent of how the opponent feels.
"Any other team would require the same analysis because
it's the Premier League and because of our reality to the moment."
Leeds do have some positive injury news, with left-back
Junior Firpo, right-back Jamie Shackleton and right winger Raphinha expected to
return from the injuries which kept them out of the midweek League Cup defeat
to Arsenal.
Bielsa says there is no precise return dates for Ayling,
Bamford and Robin Koch, who recently had minor surgery on a pelvic problem in
the USA.
"They have a margin for recovery that's very flexible
and very big," he explained.
