Leeds United were hit with an irritating injury blow ahead of their promotion challenge, with Ezgjan Alioski being ruled out for the remainder of this year's campaign. 

The full-back has been hugely impressive this season under Marcelo Bielsa's guidance and he'll leave a notable void in the Leeds starting XI.

It's come at the worst possible time for the Leeds boss as well, as they look like they are destined to having to fight for promotion via the play-offs.

The Whites suffered a potentially season-defining defeat to Brentford on Monday, which saw them lose ground at a pivotal stage of the season, with Sheffield United being able to all but confirm promotion with a win at the weekend.

Leeds will be keen to finish the season strongly though, and they can do that when they take on in-form Aston Villa, who will be hoping they can make it 11 consecutive wins with a positive performance at Elland Road.

But Leeds will have to make do without Alioski for their remaining games, including the play-offs which are edging closer.

There are likely to be a number of potential candidates to replace the Macedonian international in the starting XI, with Stuart Dallas likely to be the favourite to take his place in the side.

But Bielsa should certainly be weighing up his options, with a young duo already proving to be strong enough options to call upon when required.

Jamie Shackleton is one of them, with the youngster already making 19 appearances for the Whites in their league campaign thsi season.

He's primarily a central midfielder, but can operate at full-back, and would be the ideal option for a like-for-like replacement for Alioski, as he can provide the energy and pace from wide areas.

The other option for Bielsa to consider is Leif Davis, who's been an excellent option to rely on for Bielsa.

He made his first-team debut in a dramatic 3-2 win over Aston Villa earlier this season and has stepped up to the mark when called upon.

So Bielsa certainly isn't short of options when it comes to finding Alioski's replacement for the remainder of the season, but he'll have to make the right choice, otherwise it could prove costly.

One thing is for sure though in saying that Leeds supporters will be desperate for their side to make a long-awaited return to the Premier League this season.