The Seagull is stranded

United midfielder Ian Westlake, currently on loan to League 1 play-off rivals Brighton and Hove Albion, is unable to participate in this weekend's eagerly anticipated clash between the two sides at Elland Road.

Westlake has impressed during the spell, but the terms of the loan agreement rule him out of contention for Saturday. Seagulls chairman Dick Knight has nevertheless confirmed that the club are looking to extend the player's loan period until the end of the current campaign.

'Ian has done very well for us since coming on loan and obviously we are keen to extend his stay,' said Knight. 'We are not under any pressure to conclude negotiations with Leeds ahead of tomorrow's deadline as the player is already on loan here at Brighton. We have up until the Port Vale game to extend Ian's loan spell and I think it's distinctly possible we could achieve that.'

White's boss Gary McAllister currently has an abundance of midfield options available to him, including the returning Jonathan Douglas, and anticipates no further arrivals ahead of the deadline. 'We have an 18/19 man squad that has been tight and I feel that we have enough there,' he said. 'I don't see there being any changes with the loans.'