Preview: Leeds United (A)
Dons v Leeds in MK
By Oli
March 27 2009
Dons travel to Elland Road for a vital game in what will be a vital weekend in the League One promotion shake-up. Luke Chadwick is definitely out for the Dons while new signing Stephen Gleeson is on international duty.
Chadwick was substituted at half-time on Tuesday night against Crewe Alexandra and it has emerged he is carrying a hamstring injury which will rule him out of Saturday's clash. Jemal Johnson, who replaced him at half-time, should step in to the starting eleven.
New loan signing Gleeson, who will be in Milton Keynes until the end of the season after signing from Wolverhampton Wanderers, is away on international duty with the Republic of Ireland U21s. That will mean that Peter Leven, not enjoying his best form of the season, should keep his place in the centre of midfield but his partner could be any one of Luke Howell, Flavien Belson or Alan Navarro, with the first starting on Tuesday night and the latter two last Saturday against Yeovil.
There is also a question mark at right-back, as Shaun Cummings, who was seemingly guaranteed the right-back slot every week, was dropped for Carl Regan, but the normally reliable defender did not enjoy his best outing.
Otherwise it should be an unchanged side, although Sam Baldock dropping to the bench to turn Tuesday night's 4-4-2 to a 4-5-1 is a possibility. Danny Swailes (achilles) and Tore Andre Flo (calf) remain sidelined.
Leeds welcome top scorer Jermaine Beckford back to the side after suspension, and despite a show of petulance which saw him sent off in his last match, he should go straight back into the starting eleven. His partner is likely to be Argentine Luciano Becchio, but Derby loanee Liam Dickinson as well as Robert Snodgrass and Mike Grella are all fit as attacking options.
Also returning are right-back Frazer Richardson, versatile midfielder Andrew Hughes, and winger Andy Robinson, and the Whites are also strengthened by this week's loan signings of Reading defender Sam Sodje and Crystal Palace goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan, who are both available for selection.
Defender Paul Huntington and striker Enoch Showunmi remain sidelined, and centre-back Rui Marques is a doubt after suffering a hamstring injury against Crewe last Saturday.
To put it simply, one side is on form, and the other isn't, going into this fixture. Leeds have won seven on the trot at Elland Road and are unbeaten in their last seven home and away, winning five of those fixtures. This has seen them boosted into the League One playoff places and they now sit only four points behind the Dons, both sides having played 38 matches.
MK are going through their worst spell of the season, but in all honesty performances have not been that bad and they are making themselves difficult to beat. They have only won one of their last eight, a 6-2 thrashing of Oldham, but they have also lost just once in that same spell. After dominating the first hour, a 2-0 lead was thrown away on Tuesday night, with Crewe coming back to draw 2-2, and that just about summed up the Dons' run; not taking the chances they had and failing to kill the game off, with some bad defending again letting them down.
This season's fixture at stadium:mk back in December was the two sides' first ever meeting, with the Dons coming out 3-1 winners courtesy of an Aaron Wilbraham double after an opener from Sean O'Hanlon. Snodgrass mounted a mini-Leeds revival with a second half goal but MK ran out comfortable winners.
Leeds backup 'keeper David Lucas spent time on trial with the Dons in the 2007/08 pre-season, but otherwise there are no ex-Dons in the current Leeds squad. In the Dons squad winger Johnson spent a month on loan at Leeds in 2007, making five appearances but failing to find the net. Jason Puncheon attracted the interest of then Leeds manager Dennis Wise in January 2008, but he had a reported £250,000 bid turned down.
The only player to have played for both sides on permanent contracts though is the injured Flo, who signed for the Whites in January 2007, while still a Championship side. He only scored once before injury ruled him out for the rest of the season, but extended his contract to feature in the 2007/08 League One Campaign. After only scoring three goals, however, he retired in March 2008, before making a comeback to join the Dons in November 2008.
The referee for Saturday's match will be Mr Neil Swarbrick of Lancashire. He took charge of our 3-1 away victory against Hartlepool United earlier in the season, dismissing one Pools player. Prior to that he oversaw our 0-5 loss against Rochdale in 2006/07 as well as our 2-1 win against Oldham in 2005/06. He will be assisted by Mr G Hilton and Mr R J Jones. The fourth official will be Mr P Quinn.
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Should make for a decent game
R.I.P Gary Speed