Leeds resources look refreshed by international break

Injury briefing

Bielsa's injury boost
The two-week break came at a great time for Leeds – allowing at least four of their first-team squad to recover from injuries.

Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa has confirmed that Kemar Roofe, Pablo Hernandez, Gaetano Berardi and Conor Shaughnessy are back in contention, affording him a much healthier squad to pick from at an important stage of the season.

Top scorer Roofe and attacking midfielder Hernandez are key players and could have a major influence as Leeds aim to climb back into the automatic promotion berths.

Barry Douglas (hamstring) is also close to returning but Bielsa has not confirmed whether the left-back will be available to face Blackburn at Ewood Park on Saturday.

Keeper crisis weakens Robins
Bristol City's third-choice goalkeeper, Max O'Leary, is in line to make his first start in the EFL after Finnish goalkeeper Niki Maenpaa joined Frank Fielding (viral meningitis) on the sidelines.

Maenpaa sustained a knock in the 2-1 loss at home to Sheffield Wednesday and is expected to miss the next five weeks.

Better news for City is the improving fitness of striker Mo Eisa, who featured for the Under-23s on Monday.

Glovers short-handed
Yeovil have not won in six matches since thumping Newport 6-0 in Wales last month and their chances of beating Tranmere at Huish Park on Saturday are hampered by the absence of key players.

Last Wednesday Yeovil announced that central defender and captain Omar Sowunmi would miss the rest of the year with ankle ligament damage and a day later it was revealed that on-loan Norwich winger Diallang Jaiyesimi (knee) has been ruled out for the season.

Both were influential in Yeovil's strong start and the Glovers will also have to make do without athletic midfielder Sessi D'Almeida, who is serving a one-game ban.

D'Almeida scored his first international goal for Benin on Tuesday, helping them post a 1-0 victory at home to Algeria in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

Sunderland looking stronger
Sunderland were without 14 first-team players when they hosted Carlisle in an EFL Trophy match last Tuesday, winning 3-1, but they should take a much stronger squad to Shrewsbury this weekend.

Josh Maja (ankle), Jerome Sinclair (hamstring), Lynden Gooch (hamstring) and Lee Cattermole (fatigue) are expected to be back in contention and manager Jack Ross is hoping that Ethan Robson can recover from an ankle knock.

However, Ross will be unable to call on midfielder Max Power and left back Bryan Oviedo, who continue their suspensions.

Gills depleted for Doncaster trip
The pressure is increasing on Gillingham manager Steve Lovell, who will have to select from a threadbare squad at Doncaster.

Captain Gabriel Zakuani and midfielder Dean Parrett sustained injuries during last Saturday's 2-0 loss at home to Southend and Lovell was downbeat about their chances of recovering before the trip to Yorkshire.

They have been added to an injury list featuring Brandan Hanlan (hamstring), Billy Bingham and Regan Charles-Cook.

County counting the cost of injury blows
Newport manager Mike Flynn expects his squad to be 'a bit light' for their trip to Crawley after confirming that midfielder Robbie Willmott faces a few weeks on the sidelines.

Willmott sustained a badly bruised shin as Newport won 2-1 at home to Stevenage last Saturday and on-loan Bristol City winger Tyreeq Bakinson suffered a dead leg.

Bakinson and Keanu Marsh-Brown (knock) are doubts to face Crawley while midfielder Andrew Crofts (knock) is a definite absentee.

Gaffer Tracker

Aston Villa - Dean Smith

Dean Smith has earned his opportunity to manage a big club but patience may be required if he is to turn Aston Villa into serious promotion contenders.

Villa had hoped their absence from the Premier League would be fleeting but they have spent the last two years and three months in the Sky Bet Championship and are 15th in the table, having won just three of 12 league games.

Bringing in Smith looks a sensible move, given his success in building an attractive, progressive team at Brentford.

At Villa he will be operating with a much bigger wage bill but it will take time to get the players playing the high-tempo, passing style of football which Brentford fans have become accustomed to.

It is possible Smith may lead Villa into top-six contention but far more likely they will miss out once again.

Brentford - Thomas Frank

Brentford have been rocked by the departures of manager Dean Smith and assistant Richard O'Kelly but can still look forward to a successful season after promoting Thomas Frank to head coach.

The Bees have been credited for being one of the most forward thinking clubs in English football and the appointment of Frank has been the result of long-term planning.

When Frank was added to the coaching staff in December 2016 it was with the explicit intention of ensuring a seamless transition if Smith and O'Kelly were to move on.

Bees director of football Rasmus Ankerson said at the time: "You don't want to make yourself too vulnerable. If Dean and Richard get headhunted somewhere else you want stability and continuity and someone to carry on the philosophy that the club is built on."

Frank, who has managerial experience from a two-and-a-half year stint at Brondby and an in-depth knowledge of the players, looks perfectly placed to continue the Brentford success story.

There is every chance they will continue to contend for promotion.

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