Leeds United legend Eddie Gray believes Tom Lawrence’s absence from the Ipswich Town team could be a huge bonus for the Whites at Portman Road on Saturday afternoon.
The forward has been the top goalscorer in a struggling Ipswich side and Mick McCarthy depends on the former Manchester United man for the creative spark in his team.
However, Lawrence is suspended for Leeds’ visit after he picked up his tenth yellow card of the season in Ipswich’s 1-1 draw against Brighton earlier this week and will sit out the game at Portman Road.
Gray believes it is a huge loss for Ipswich and compared it to the hypothetical scenario of a Leeds team taking the pitch without their star striker Chris Wood in the team.
He is still expecting a tough game for his former side, but feels it is a good opportunity for Leeds to take three points from Portman Road.
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When asked about Lawrence’s absence, Gray told LUTV: “That’s a big bonus for us.
“At the present time, it’s a lot like losing Chris Wood; you don’t want to take on Ipswich without your centre forward and in the same token they would not like to play Leeds without their star striker.
“That’s an opportunity for us to go and get the three points there, but it’s going to be a tough game.”
Portman Road has not been a happy hunting ground for Leeds for years and they suffered a 2-1 loss in the corresponding fixture last season.
