Leeds United pair Luke Ayling and Patrick Bamford are officially out of the Whites' Premier League clash with Tottenham, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Leeds head to Spurs

Marcelo Bielsa's side have shown signs of finding some form recently, having not lost in their last three league outings.

On Sunday afternoon, Leeds head to north London to take on a Spurs side now sure to invigorated by Antonio Conte, in what could be a tough challenge due to the hosts' new manager bounce.

It will be a good indicator of whether or not the Whites have turned the corner but they will again have to do it without two key figures.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277"]

The Latest: Hay rules out duo

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Hay confirmed that both Ayling and Bamford - previously a doubt - are unavailable for the game, delivering an eight-word verdict:

"Bamford and Ayling not available for the game."

He also added that Bielsa "doesn't want to give a timeframe on their return", suggesting they won't necessarily be back soon.

[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-25/" title="Latest Leeds United news!" poster="" width="360" height="600" align=“none"]

The Verdict: Hugely important duo

While Leeds deserve criticism for some poor performances and results this season, not having Ayling and Bamford fit for a large chunk of it has played a part in their struggles.

The pair are hugely influential figures for the Whites, with Ayling not only providing quality from right-back - he has seven goals and 16 assists for the club - but also leadership.

Meanwhile, Bamford's goals are precious, and without him, Raphinha is the top scorer with five league goals, with Jack Harrison and Rodrigo next up with just two.

In other news, a pundit has hailed the return of one Leeds player. Find out who it is here.