Leeds United welcome Manchester United to Elland Road on Sunday, and Bruno Fernandes has dropped a hint about Raphinha’s fitness . Leeds h...
Leeds have been a joy to watch regardless of injury concerns, but the Brazilian’s influence is unmatched.
Plying his trade on the right-wing, he’s raised the bar for what these players can achieve this season.
However. a bad looking thigh injury sustained late in the Manchester City win kept him out of the clash against Liverpool.
Fernandinho somehow avoided a red card for his awful, cynical challenge on Raphinha, and the Leeds man is struggling currently.
What looks like a dead leg has kept him out of the thrilling draw to Liverpool and leaves him a doubt for this weekend.
Leeds face Man United hoping for a better result than the reverse fixture, a 6-2 defeat at Old Trafford.
Bruno Fernandes and co taught Leeds a lesson that day, and good friend Raphinha won’t have been too bothered about his reunion with Fernandes.
The pair spent time together at Sporting CP and are clearly still very close.
Speaking ahead of the game this week to his club’s official site, the Man United star dropped a hint about Raphinha’s fitness:
"About Raphinha, unluckily for Leeds, I think maybe he will still be injured at the time.
I hope not. I hope I can play against him but, if I have to put him down in the game, I will put him down!
The relationships stay out of the game. He knows that. He is one of the players who knows me better than anyone. He knows the relationship but even in the training ground, he knows it never counts when we play against each other.
If we have to fight in the game, we’ll fight for everything and then go home.
Leeds will be praying Raphinha is back for this game.
It’s perhaps the one fixture you look for as soon as promotion is sealed: Man United at home.
That being said, we provided a lot of threat against Liverpool without him, and can do the same here.
However, it’s quite obvious we’re weaker when he’s not there.
Safety is mathematically assured now after our draw against Liverpool so not much is riding on this as it could be.
Hopefully, with a more balance defence, we can give a better account for ourselves than last time.
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