Marcelo Bielsa confirms Leeds pair Rodrigo and Robin Koch are fit for Liverpool

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has confirmed that new summer signings Rodrigo and Robin Koch are both fit ahead of the opening game of the new Premier League season.

The Whites travel to Anfield on Saturday evening to face reigning champions Liverpool, as the Yorkshire giants celebrate being back in the top-flight after their long exile with arguably the toughest fixture in the division.

Bielsa’s team steamrolled to promotion last season from the Championship as title-winners and now have the task of trying to keep Premier League football at Elland Road for the long-term.

Leeds have strengthened their squad so far with the signing of 29-year-old Rodrigo, who has joined from Valencia as a highly-rated forward that will be looking to boost the goalscoring options.

They have also welcomed 24-year-old centre-back Robin Koch from Freiburg and he’s expected to fill the void left by loanee Ben White, who has now returned to parent club Brighton.

Both are internationals for Spain and Germany respectively, so there is real excitement about what the duo can bring to the XI.

Bielsa has indicated that Rodrigo and Koch are both fit to be involved against Liverpool, which means supporters can be excited about the prospect of a couple of debuts.

“They are in very good physical condition ahead of the game [against Liverpool],” Bielsa said in his pre-match press conference, as quoted by the Yorkshire Evening Post.

TBR’s View:

Leeds may not have been overly busy so far in the summer window, but they have made two marquee signings for the team and that approach looks a lot smarter than filling the squad with a bunch of new players.

It was a close-knit group at Elland Road last season that earned promotion and it’s a squad that have earned the chance to play in the Premier League, so disrupting that heavily could cause a setback.

Spaniard Rodrigo undoubtedly looks an upgrade in the centre-forward area, although Patrick Bamford could still have a big role to play over the course of the season.

Meanwhile, it’s vital that German defender settles quickly in the Leeds side and playing alongside captain Liam Cooper should help.

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