SIX York City Knights Ladies players have returned from injury ahead of their clash with Leeds Rhinos.

York travel to Headingley Stadium on Sunday (1pm) to take on Leeds in what will be a decisive clash in the Betfred Women’s Super League.

A win over the Rhinos would guarantee the Knights a first ever League Leaders’ Shield.

York are currently first in the table with 12 points and a +176 points difference. They are just two points ahead of Leeds, who boast a better points differential of +212.

The Knights will be bolstered, though, by the return of Bettie Lambert, Lacey Owen and Olivia Gale, who had been suffering from concussion and knee, shoulder and wrist problems respectively.

Also returning to the squad is Tamzin Renouf, who had been missing due to a knee injury, Georgie Hetherington who has recovered from a problem with her anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and Olivia Wood, who had been struggling with her quad.

York are still missing Grace Field, who continues to battle injuries to her foot and ankle, while both Kelsey Gentles and Alisha Clayton remain absent with injury.

Rhiannion Marshall is also unavailable for the game.

The Knights will be looking to add further to their trophy cabinet, having won the inaugural Women’s Nines last month.

The League Leaders’ Shield, however, would represent York’s first ever piece of major silverware.

French internationals Margot Canal and Anais Fourcroy will be absent from the side, the duo having joined Hull FC on loan from the Knights.

In their latest outing, York were able to overcome Wigan Warriors at the LNER Community Stadium, winning 33-10.

It was a positive response from their 12-4 loss to St Helens at the Totally Wicked Stadium, which was their first loss of the campaign and interrupted a two-game run of keeping their opposition scoreless.

In their last Super League outing, at the LNER, York beat Leeds 24-10, though prior to that, in the Betfred Challenge Cup, Leeds overcame York at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in a close game, that the Knights ultimately lost 28-26.

York City Knights Ladies squad: Stanley, Hyde, Renouf, Andrade, Gentles, Hetherington, Langan, Peach, Dodd, Wood, Bell, Lambert, Taylor, Sanderson, Kershaw, Whitehead, Butler, Gale, Owen, Akpa, Bessahli