It looks like Dougie Freedman will not be fit to face the club where he became a cult-hero last season.

Southend make the long haul north for a Tuesday night fixture and Leeds are clearly hoping for a bumper crowd.

Just two years ago, this was a Championship fixture and despite us and the Shrimpers making the League One play-offs last season, Uncle Ken has reduced it to a Cat C game so your's truly and my eldest lad will be sat in the South Stand for 25 quid!

However another family man in the form of Dougie Freedman appears to be missing with a thigh injury sustained in last Tuesday's clash with Leyton Orient. Freedman bagged six goals for Leeds last season whilst on loan from Crystal Palace and became something of a cult hero, however he cited family-reasons as reluctance to move north permanently and in the end switched to the Essex coast.

Southend boss Steve Tilson is apparently a closet Leeds fan, (so I read somewhere) but on the coach trip north he will be missing Alex Revell (broken leg), Antony Grant and Peter Clarke (both suspended), Francis Laurent (groin) whilst Alan McCormack (groin) is another doubt.

Having reached the total of 21 goals on Saturday with a brace from the subs bench, Jermaine Beckford will surely fancy his chances of making the starting line-up - my own hunch is that he will partner Lee Trundle up front, with Lucciano Becchio and Robert Snodgrass amongst the subs.

Another scoring sub, Johnny Howson may fancy a recall in midfield. Defender Paul Huntingdon has apparently undergone more groin surgery, but Larry seems to have sorted the defence with the wise signings (albeit on-loan) of Richard Naylor and Liam Dickinson.

KO is at 7.45pm.

Photo: Action Images

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