Will Leeds field best defence against Derby for first time since October?

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Leeds United host Derby County on Friday night in the Championship and supporters could see their brilliant defensive quartet start together for the first time since October.

The Whites were knocked out of the FA Cup third round at the weekend, but attention now turns to a promotion bid in the Championship.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are two points clear at the top of the league and it’s extremely impressive considering the bad luck at Elland Road this season.

Leeds have been extremely short of options in their backline and haven’t had their best defence start together in a league fixture since 2 October against Hull City.

Luke Ayling and Barry Douglas are the outstanding full-backs at the Yorkshire club, while Pontus Jansson and Liam Cooper form the best centre-back combination.

Cooper has returned to action for Leeds’ Under-23s side and fans will hope their captain is available for the league on Friday.

Bielsa has had to turn to the club’s promising youth players to sustain the promotion push, but it will be a major boost if they have all their senior defenders back for the second half of the season.

Leeds have a fierce defensive look when they have powerhouses Jansson and Cooper in the heart, while Ayling and Douglas offer the great balance of attack and defence.

It would be great to have the quartet available against Frank Lampard’s impressive Derby outfit, but if not they should be reunited in the foreseeable future.