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Leeds logo
Championship
Mar 8, 2014 at 3pm UK
 
Bolton logo

1-5

Smith (90')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Mason (45'), Jutkiewicz (52'), Knight (56'), Davies (72'), Moritz (89')

Preview: Leeds United vs. Bolton Wanderers

Sports Mole looks ahead to Saturday's Championship clash between Leeds United and Bolton Wanderers at Elland Road.

Leeds United will need to get back to winning ways when they host Bolton Wanderers on Saturday if they are to get their Championship playoff charge back on track.

A three-match winless streak has stunted the mini-revival Leeds experienced amidst the Brian McDermott saga, leaving them 12th in the table, eight points behind sixth-placed Wigan Athletic.

They do have a game in hand over many of the sides above them, but the Latics are one of the teams who have played the same number of matches, and their form means that the rest of the chasing pack cannot afford many setbacks.

Leeds have only found the net once in their last three outings but still boast the division's top scorer in the shape of Ross McCormack, who has scored 23 of the team's 44 goals this season.

The match will be their first at Elland Road since February 1, when they thrashed Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town 5-1 to end a five-match winless streak at home.

They will have Jack Butland and Connor Wickham available this time round, with the loanees both expected to make their home debuts for the club on Saturday.

Bolton, meanwhile, have hit a spell of good form at the perfect time to drag them away from the immediate threat of relegation.

Convincing back-to-back wins over Watford and Blackburn Rovers made it just one defeat in their last five games, lifting Dougie Freedman's men nine points clear of the relegation zone.

However, Championship survival is by no means guaranteed just yet, as 22nd-placed Charlton Athletic have three games in hand over the five teams directly above them in the table.

A third straight victory for the first time since November could lift the Trotters as high as 16th depending on results elsewhere, and it would also leave them just five points behind their opponents on Saturday.

However, their recent away form has been poor, picking up just one point from their last five games, during which time they have conceded 16 goals.

Stuart Holden suffered another setback in his recovery from a knee injury during the week, so he will remain on the sidelines along with Joe Riley and Marc Tierney.

Recent form

Leeds: DWWLDD

Bolton: LDLDWW

Possible starting lineups

Leeds: Butland; Byram, Pearce, Lees, Warnock; Austin, Murphy; Stewart, McCormack, Kebe; Wickham

Bolton: Bogdan; Ream, Knight, Wheater, Baptiste; Medo, Spearing; Mason, Danns, Davies; Jutkiewicz

Sports Mole says: 2-0


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Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer prior to kick-off against Man City in their FA Cup third round match on January 4, 2013
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3Leeds UnitedLeeds43269876344287
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8Coventry CityCoventry4217121366521463
9Middlesbrough43189166156563
10Preston North EndPreston43189165660-463
11Cardiff CityCardiff43185204860-1259
12Bristol City431610175046458
13Sunderland43168195250256
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16Millwall431311194255-1350
17Blackburn RoversBlackburn431310205771-1449
18Plymouth ArgylePlymouth431212195866-848
19Queens Park RangersQPR431211204057-1747
20Stoke CityStoke431211204160-1947
21Birmingham CityBirmingham43129224864-1645
22Huddersfield TownHuddersfield43917174770-2344
23Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds43128233667-3144
RRotherham UnitedRotherham43411283285-5323


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