Marcelo Bielsa looks set to receive a late Christmas present, as Leeds United midfielder Jamie Shackleton is aiming to make his comeback from a hamstring injury on Boxing Day.
The boss has been without Shackleton since early October when the 20-year-old was forced off at half-time during our 1-0 win over promotion rivals West Bromwich Albion, and has only played one minute in the Championship since.
Shackleton, unfortunately, aggravated his hamstring when he made a brief cameo from the bench away to Reading last month, having featured for the Under 23s ahead of the trip to the Madejski Stadium.
He has now pinpointed our Boxing Day showdown with Preston North End as the game he is hopeful that he can return in, after admitting his last return came too early.
“I had some problems with my hamstring after the West Brom game,” Shackleton said, via quotes by the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“And I came back in probably a bit too soon. I’ve felt it again in training, but we are looking at being back for Boxing Day hopefully.”
Shackleton had just started to become a key part of Bielsa’s plans when he was forced off against the Baggies in October, as the blow came after the boss had fielded the Leeds-born talent in his starting line-up for four-straight league games.
Does Shackleton start once fit?
Yes, absolutely
Who do you drop?
Bielsa has been hamstrung with a reduced midfield in recent weeks, with Adam Forshaw still on the sidelines with a hip injury and Tyler Roberts out with a hamstring issue of his own following an injury-plagued start to the campaign.
The boss has received some more positive injury news, though, as captain Liam Cooper has shared that he is feeling good and will be available for selection at Fulham on Saturday after missing our last three games with a calf strain.
In other Leeds United news, a prominent pundit has lauded a £60k-p/w man as an ideal January signing for the Whites to chase.