Marcelo Bielsa warns Leeds United about wounded Norwich City, but he has prepared just the same - Yorkshire Post 29/10/21

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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.

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