David looks ahead to Saturday's derby clash
- David Wagner previews Leeds United vs Huddersfield Town- Head Coach looking forward to local derby
- Wagner updates on injuries to his players
David Wagner will lead Huddersfield Town in his first West Yorkshire derby when he takes his team to Elland Road to play Leeds United on Saturday.
“I think it will be very exciting, with a great atmosphere,” David told htafc.com.
“We will get great support from our away fans and we have to make sure everyone’s happy with a great result with a good performance as well. Everybody will be prepared.
“It’s much easier if you win games in professional football, of course. It’s only three points, but three points in a derby are massive. This is one of the easiest games for me, because I don’t have to motivate anybody!”
Town met defeat 3-0 in the first meeting of the two sides at the John Smith’s Stadium in November, but Wagner believes his team is a different proposition now.
“My first game that I watched from the stand was exactly this derby in Huddersfield, which we lost on this day. From this time I know how important this derby is for everybody, especially our fans.
“I think in the last four and a half months we worked a lot with this team, especially on fitness, so I’m sure we will be fitter than we were. Of course we like to find good solutions and good game plans to beat Leeds United and to make it tough for them to play against us.”
On this weekend’s hosts, David commented:
“They did a very good job since the new Head Coach arrived and I think we have to be respectful when we go to Leeds on Saturday.
“We know that we have to come on our highest level; in concentration, in how fresh we are, be good at defending set pieces. In so many different parts we have to be on our highest level to be successful and this is what we have to make sure.
“I think that they will be brave and aggressive with three wins on their back. They will be a tough side.
“On the other side, there will not be so many surprises in their starting eleven, in their quality or type of player. I think in the Championship, nearly everyone knows everything about the opponent or single players. The question is who will find the best solution against their opponent; we have to make sure this is our team.
“We will analyse Leeds and we will find some spaces where we can hopefully hurt them. We will find a way where we will defend against them and then we have to make sure we bring our identity on the pitch.”
David updates supporters on the injury situation at the Club ahead of the weekend.
“Phil Billing is okay. He felt ill and was sick on Saturday and Sunday. He was back on Tuesday.
“Kyle Dempsey has a calf injury; he will be out for the next three and a half weeks.
“Elvis Manu will be out at the weekend too, as he’s flown back to Holland; his son is in hospital at the moment. Everything I hear says it isn’t so bad, but sometimes there are things more important than football and he flew back to his family.
“Rajiv van La Parra will be in the squad on Saturday, for sure. If nothing extraordinary happens then he will be part of the squad."
Click HERE for ticket information on Saturday's game; note Town fans CANNOT pay on the day at Elland Road
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