Leeds United face Aston Villa at under the lights on Thursday evening (7:45pm), in another highly anticipated Premier League encounter between the sides.
The club will be raising funds for the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal at the game, following the emergency caused by the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe.
The two teams met just a short time ago in February, with an entertaining 3-3 draw being played out at Villa Park. That match saw both Dan James and Jacob Ramsey net two goals each.
Each side come into the game in different form. Villa have won their last two games which includes a 4-0 hammering of Southampton last time out, whilst the Whites lost the first game under Jesse Marsch against Leicester, but put in a positive performance.
The new head coach will now be in charge on home turf for the first time, and he will be greeted by a sell-out crowd when he walks into the dugout at Elland Road.
When playing one another over the last few years, these two teams have had close fought encounters. Thursday visitors have won just once in the last five meetings across all competitions, with Leeds claiming two wins in that time accompanied by two draws.
Under Steven Gerrard, Villa have improved and in doing so, moved up the table with a realistic chance of finishing inside the top 10. The former Liverpool midfielder won four of his opening six league games and then added a number of new faces to his squad in the January window, aiming to progress further.
After losing five on the bounce in the Premier League, Leeds now have two home games this week in which they will be looking to return to winning ways. Whilst three points on Thursday can’t move them up a position in the table, it can add all important points increasing the barrier to the bottom three.
The man in the middle will be Simon Hooper. He has overseen just the one Leeds United game this season which was the 1-0 home win over Watford, but he is yet to take charge of a match involving Villa so far this campaign.
Thursday’s match is dedicated to Level Playing Field. The campaign takes place every year to help promote and showcase the work being done by clubs, Disabled Supporters Associations (DSAs), supporters and other organisations to improve accessibility and inclusion across all sports.
Fans who were unable to get tickets for the game are able to watch the encounter live on Amazon Prime Video, with commentary available as always through LUTV. Alternatively, stay right here on leedsunited.com for updates throughout the match.
Manager/head coach:
Leeds: Jesse Marsch
Villa: Steven Gerrard
What has Jesse Marsch said, ahead of the match?
“They are a team that is very confident and that can always be dangerous. We will need our fans and need a good start, to find a way to get the lead. They’re a team I admire on set-pieces too, they have creativity and variation in everything they do. We will need to be alert.”
League position
Leeds: 16th
Villa: 11th
Premier League form
Leeds: LLLLL
Villa: DLLWW
Head to head
Leeds: 32
Draw: 31
Villa: 40
A memorable moment against Aston Villa…
Top scorer
Leeds: Raphinha (9)
Villa: Ollie Watkins (7)
Team news
Jesse Marsch has confirmed Patrick Bamford will be involved after returning from injury. Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips are nearing a return to action in the coming matches. Leo Hjelde and Tyler Roberts are both out of action after having surgery on the respective injuries.
Steven Gerrard will be boosted by the return of Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa to his squad. Marvelous Nakamba will still be out, whilst a late call will be made on youngster, Carney Chukwuemeka.
Officials
Referee - Simon Hooper
Assistant Referee - Ian Hussin
Assistant Referee - Darren Cann
Fourth Official - Robert Jones
Video Assistant Referee - Lee Mason
A key battle
Jack Harrison vs Emiliano Buendia
Take a look at some key stats between two attacking players who will be at the forefront of the action on Thursday night, as Leeds United do battle with Aston Villa.
Latest odds
Leeds: 8/5
Draw: 5/2
Villa: 8/5
How to watch
The match has been selected for television broadcast coverage within the UK on Prime Video. Live commentary is available as always on LUTV, with up to date blog updates on leedsunited.com.
