Neil Redfearn will be without injured midfielder Lewis Cook for Saturday’s visit of Blackburn Rovers, but the head coach insists he has a wealth of options to choose from with players fighting for places.

United welcome 10th-placed Rovers to Elland Road on the back of a five-game unbeaten run and three points could propel Redfearn’s side into the top-half of the Championship having suffered league defeat just three times in 2015.

Strained ankle ligaments sustained while on international duty mean that Cook is set to miss out on Saturday, prompting Redfearn into tinkering with the side that drew 1-1 at Blackpool a fortnight ago.

"We’ve got people fit and wanting to get in the team," said the head coach. "They want to get in the team because we’ve been doing well.

"They’re enjoying their football because they’re winning and they’re in a far, far better position.

"They all want to be part of it now because it’s going in the right direction.

"When you’re playing in something that’s successful, you don’t want to get out of the side.

"That is the sort of environment and culture that we wanted to create. That’s what we’re creating.

"We don’t want that to stop because that is the way to be successful and the way to get out of this division.

"I’m hoping that the players keep that mentality because it’s important from their point of view.

"If they show that mentality against Blackburn on Saturday then we’ve got a chance of getting a result."

Cook, who played 79 minutes in England Under-19s’ 1-0 victory over Azerbaijan last Saturday, returned to Thorp Arch earlier this week to be assessed and undergo scans on the injury.

Redfearn said: "He’s strained some ankle ligaments. I don’t know the severity of it.

"Lewis seems to think it’s a lot easier, which he would do, because the kid wants to play.

"We’ve had it scanned. The scan does show a strain but not a serious strain."