WITH numbers so thin on the ground Robbie Fowler should have little difficulty walking into Leeds United's side.

The Liverpool striker was expected to complete his £11million move today amid a mounting Elland Road injury crisis.

Reserve team centre-back Michael Duberry ended up playing in attack at the end of last night's nightmare 2-0 Worthington Cup home defeat against Chelsea - so Fowler's wish for regular first team football should start in Sunday's Premiership game at Fulham.

Exactly who will be available for the trip to Craven Cottage will be a matter of conjecture after three more Leeds players' joined the casualty list on a night manager David O'Leary will want to forget.

United may not have had much luck but the injuries should not be allowed to gloss over what was a below-par Leeds display in which they created very little in the way of chances.

Not even the predatory Fowler would have been able to feed of the dearth of chances created by the Leeds midfield last night.

Apart from a few Ian Harte pot-shots from free-kicks and a strong penalty claim for a trip on Robbie Keane, Leeds were unable to fashion very much to inspire their supporters.

There had been little to choose between the two sides in a tight match until the hour mark when the tie swung dramatically the Londoners' way.

Leeds defender Dominic Matteo was already on the touchline receiving treatment when Jason Wilcox and Eirik Bakke collided in trying to halt a Chelsea break. The Norwegian midfielder was left on the turf and an undermanned Leeds could not cope with Graeme Le Saux's cross as Eidur Gudjohnsen produced a clinical finish from Frank Lampard's head down.

Both injured Leeds players went off to be replaced by Michael Duberry and Stephen McPhail but with Leeds failing to breakdown a well-drilled Chelsea defence, O'Leary made a desperate tactical change.

He reshuffled his defence by bringing on Gary Kelly and thrust Duberry up front but within minutes that game plan went out of the window as a stricken McPhail crashed to the floor after a challenge outside the Chelsea box. Rio Ferdinand had the chance to play the ball out but slipped and Chelsea raced down field for Gudjohnsen to smash in his second goal and steer his side through to the semi-finals.

McPhail was stretchered off but some of the remaining ten Leeds players were unhappy that Chelsea had continued to play on while the Republic of Ireland international was seriously hurt.

Tempers became frayed in the remaining ten minutes of a game which had been generally low key between two battle-hardened sides.

Leeds, their 19-match unbeaten home record gone, put some belated beef into their challenges and one clash between Alan Smith and Le Saux saw the Chelsea man carried off.

The injury repercussions from the game may well be more serious than the exit from a competition in which United have a poor record and O'Leary, like his counterparts at Manchester United and Arsenal, may reconsider fielding his strongest possible side in the Worthington Cup in the future.

O'Leary, though, will head to Craven Cottage beset with injuries with the absences of Matteo, McPhail and Bakke sure to give the Leeds boss plenty to ponder.

McPhail, who was carried off after a raking challenge by Slavisa Jokanovic, will today undergo x-rays on damage to his right ankle which led to him hobbling out of Elland Road on crutches and with the joint heavily strapped.

Matteo will also have a precautionary scan on his own ankle problem which will keep him out of the clash with the Cottagers, while Bakke is doubtful with a knee ligament injury.

"This is why we need a big squad of players because all the injuries are bad ones and leaves us sorely depleted," stated O'Leary.

"This was our fourth game in 10 days during which I've not been able to freshen things up. We are a tired team, one which ran out of steam against Chelsea."

With these fresh injuries to contend with, Leeds will need a fit and on-form Fowler - who did not watch his potential new side's 2-0 defeat last night - to reignite their season which has failed to spark during what O'Leary expected to be a difficult November.

"The prospect of Fowler playing for us excites me," added O'Leary.

"Over time, if we can train him and fit him in to our way of playing then he is somebody who can score a lot of goals for us."

Updated: 12:09 Thursday, November 29, 2001